Chapter 138
Translator: uly
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Lenox's Proposal
Realizing she had stepped into a tiger’s den—no, a dragon’s lair of danger—Kaisha quickly reverse-summoned Messiah and turned to Lenox.
“What kind of deal?”
“You said you’re from another world. Take me with you when you go back. There’s no place for me here anymore.”
Kaisha’s eyes widened.
It was hard to believe this came from someone who, just moments ago, had been staring at her with lifeless eyes, as if all will to live had drained away.
Looking at him properly now after hearing the offer, Lenox’s gaze was starkly different from before she entered this place.
Kaisha asked,
“Weren’t you trying to die?”
“I was. Lea’s death wasn’t just emotional grief—it was a shock from losing a part of my very being.”
The past tense meant it wasn’t anymore.
In truth, Lenox had started regaining his reason the moment his “rampage” ended. Of course, the emotional aftermath was unavoidable.
But Lenox was already accustomed to being separated from Lea.
And the instinct to survive, even amid the shock of the umbilical cord being severed, was a natural, inevitable drive of life itself.
But at Lenox’s sudden proposal, Kaisha shook her head.
“That won’t work.”
“…And why not?”
“My world has already suffered from invasions by otherworlders. I can’t endanger the people there just to save myself.”
Moreover, even if she died here, it wouldn’t be the end for Kaisha.
There was no room for compromise.
Lenox fell silent at her cautious yet utterly reasonable explanation.
“…”
That left suicide or flight as the only options for Lenox, who had wreaked havoc during his rampage.
He didn’t particularly want to die, nor did he want to live on the run.
While past central nation leaders had often chosen suicide, Lenox’s mental stability was too solid for such a sudden decision.
Lenox spoke again.
“The rampage is over. I’m no longer a danger.”
Kaisha’s expression remained cold.
“You can’t know that for sure.”
Brushing off Lenox’s words, Kaisha turned back to what she was doing.
This space might be dangerous, but it seemed she couldn’t escape anyway, and she had urgent business right now.
A message had just appeared saying the controls were now switchable to operable rank.
On top of that, with Goldbunker in dire straits, she needed to hurry and manipulate the android soldiers within the time limit to help them.
Lenox watched her from behind before speaking.
“I’ll help you with the device controls. Do you know it was me who switched the rank? I can let you use all of the central nation’s weapons.”
Kaisha’s hands paused for a moment.
“…Really? No, I said it won’t work. Taking you to my world is out of the question.”
“Use my help first, then decide.”
“…”
“Or even if you use me and break the promise later, what’s it to me?”
Tempting.
Her heart tilted at that deep, alluring voice.
Kaisha couldn’t fathom Lenox’s intentions, but to a war game addict like her, the promise of access to “all the central nation’s weapons” was a critical hit.
Plus, unbeknownst to Lenox, she couldn’t die here.
Even if she broke the promise and got killed, it wouldn’t matter.
Kaisha asked,
“You’ll help with the weapons—no, the device controls? How? We’re short on time. I need to drive out the enemy forces and occupy this land before the limit.”
Lenox, puzzled by the unfamiliar info, suddenly asked,
“What do you plan to do by occupying the land?”
“Resource mining and territory management. The central nation can’t develop further, but outside the forest, it’s all wasteland. I’ll plant trees or build structures to make it livable.”
Lenox looked at Kaisha with eyes full of incomprehension.
“…I get the first part, but what’s the goal with the second?”
“For fun, what else…”
She answered reflexively, then paused, sensing something off.
Out of habit from playing Bipa Online, she’d been trying to indulge her love for civilization games here too—but this wasn’t a game world; it was real.
“No, that’s not—”
“Everything runs on brain force drive.”
Kaisha opened her mouth to gloss over her words, but Lenox cut her off and began explaining.
A light came on next to the keyboard she’d been using for directional controls.
Then a hand icon appeared.
“Put your hands on it. Releasing me would be fastest, but if you won’t, try controlling it yourself.”
“…”
Brain force drive?
Her heart pounded.
Feeling her pulse race at this new control method, Kaisha placed both hands on the panel.
A warning popped up on the screen immediately.
[!Warning!]
[Not a member of Lenox Corp!]
[Subject lacks access to central military system, but accompaniment by Lenox-nim confirmed. Requesting approval.]
Lenox said right away,
“I permit it.”
[Approval granted.] appeared instantly, and the moment she connected to something, Kaisha’s eyes flew wide.
“!!”
Consciousness link.
The positions of the machine soldiers floating on the massive hologram screen rose stereoscopically in her mind, feeling even clearer than with her eyes.
Along with that, every weapon usable in this situation and all the machines dormant underground flashed up like inspirations.
The things surfacing in Kaisha’s mind appeared as a list on the right screen.
Buttons were no longer needed.
Without touching anything, everything she thought and selected from now on would happen instantly.
* * *
The last nation, with nowhere left to run.
In the central nation’s dawn, where everyone lay sleepless with fear of dying together, cheers suddenly erupted.
Waaah!!
We did it!!
The residents who had been holding their breath, watching Kaisha and the mysterious outsiders fight to victory.
“!”
The woman with Oppen stood and opened the window.
Oppen looked outside too.
Living near the barrier, she could see it right from her window.
Finally.
The lights near the barrier all lit up, and the protective wall rose again.
Kaisha had done it.
* * *
As the end countdown began, attacks from each nation intensified.
Goldbunker, who had been sucking honey with flashy gear-boosted single-target DPS since entering Babel Tower channel 1004, got pushed back the moment full-scale war with the European Union started.
The European Union survivors were those tempered to the extreme in battles against China and Russia.
And in the midst of that, Hyeonwoo and Mura had left briefly to support Fullminak.
Credit said to Gilgamesh,
[“Why’d you come back.”]
“Something you should say to the guild master?”
[“No, seriously, I was thinking of grabbing the survivors and bolting to the central nation. Goldbunker survivors: seven now.”]
“Wow. We’re done for.”
The seven remaining didn’t seem too few thanks to a handful of Chinese survivors and affiliated heroes.
Of course, Goldbunker wasn’t the only one with heavy losses.
The European Union had also taken massive casualties fighting the endless waves of machine soldiers.
Boom! Kwaboom!!
Ziiing, ziiiing—
Kwaaaang—!!
Hyeonwoo and Mura from Fullminak, confirming the dire situation, jumped straight into the fray to aid Goldbunker.
Seeing Gilgamesh return, Credit rushed to the front too, saying,
[“Still, with Hyeonwoo-nim and Mura-nim here in this mess, it’s reassuring. Countdown means things worked out well.”]
“Final boss down.”
[“But this channel’s main mission is land grab. Wasting time on the boss wasn’t pointless?”]
Gilgamesh blinked at the unexpected sharp point.
“What? You thought that?”
[“Countdown right after boss kill makes you think so.”]
Kaisha had clashed with the Queen, so the Europeans seemed to target the center too, but only Korea succeeded in breaching it.
And the final countdown started right after the boss fell.
Mission over.
With things heading that way, it raised questions if assaulting the center was worth it beyond just “completing the mission.”
Gilgamesh protested,
“Hey, no. Kaisha said she’d control the machine soldiers via the central system.”
[“Can an outsider even access the central system? Given this world’s tech, doesn’t seem easy.”]
“Hmm.”
Credit’s argument was convincing, so Gilgamesh pondered, then his eyes widened at something.
“Anyway, these machine bastards are shooting more than just lasers now?”
[“After you left, they started packing shotguns alongside laser rifles. Mixed with magic bullets, so shields pierce easy. Watch out.”]
“Hmmmmm.”
Gilgamesh let out another groan.
This world’s tech truly surpassed imagination, so even if Kaisha infiltrated the center, full control seemed unlikely.
Unless the bloodied, near-dead final boss suddenly turned and helped her…
But that wouldn’t happen.
Watching the slaughter, Gilgamesh racked his brain and concluded.
“What’s the point overthinking when the breach is done? Boss kill and rewards were good. Right now, praying to Kaisha is the most realistic. Work a miracle or something, Kamen.”
Credit laughed, tension easing at Gilgamesh’s blunt conclusion and fix.
Then, amid the desperate fight, the Goldbunker guild chat lit up.
[“Roto here. Spotted European forces pulling back from the rear.”]
A good number of European hunters were retreating.
[“Going for land grabs.”]
[“Haa. Fucking assholes.”]
[“Sick of this shit.”]
[“If I get out of Babel Tower, I’m not looking at anything with ‘Eu’ from Europe for a while. Thanks for your hard work, everyone.”]
[“Good work.”]
[“You too.”]
Gilgamesh scowled at the vibe like it was already over.
“What? These guys lost it cornered? Battle’s not done—don’t talk like you’re about to die!”
[“Guild master-nim, it’s really too much…… Save us…….”]
[“Culprit: European Union……”]
[“Just got word: last Chinese hunter dead.”]
[“I’m out too. Kamen.”]
[“Thanks for everything, brothers. May Kaisha-nim’s grace be with you.”]
[“Kamen.”]
[“Kamen.”]
[“Blessings, Kamen.”]
“…”
In the end, when all feels transient, people turn to transcendent beings.
Bipa’s official religion.
As the solemn “Kamen” chants of the Kaisha cult echoed, Gilgamesh stood speechless in disbelief.
[“Huh?”]
[…What?]
Suddenly, the tide turned.
[“Machine soldiers suddenly focusing fire on the European Union!”]
“!”
Gilgamesh’s eyes flashed open.