Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Gold-Hungry Landworm
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A man enveloped in a soft glow.
Even the special boss, Zealot Edward.
“Prrrrroo!”
The most ornately decorated elephant carrying him growls threateningly at me. It’s less frightening and more fascinating.
‘No way magical beasts can be tamed like this? It’s like it’s been raised from a cub.’
Attempts to tame magical beasts had failed for thousands of years in Ardania. They could never overcome the beasts’ insatiable hunger for human flesh.
Orcs had tried riding wolf magical beasts before... It seemed magical beasts perceived humans and monsters differently.
“The White Drake... I see. So you’re the infamous Bandit Baron. I’ve heard you’ve greatly expanded your forces since the end times began.”
The blond handsome man in pristine white robes smiles amiably.
I smile back just as amiably.
“You can talk. You almost look human.”
“Of course we’re human. We are all children of the great Heavenly God.”
He sounds perfectly sane. I glanced beyond him at the Heavenly God Soldiers lined up in perfect formation.
‘Truly an elite force, handpicked.’
In any monster horde, the most numerous were always high-grade. Ice Elementals (High) dominated the Ice Queen’s army, and the Thunder Elementals (High) storming the west gate were the same.
‘Holy Kingdom Soldiers (High) only as rear supply troops?’
What did it mean that far more numerous high-grade monsters were absent? From a commander’s perspective, considering monster respawn mechanics, the answer was simple.
‘They’ve assigned relatively weaker troops to defense, fortifying key points, while gathering rare-grade and above monsters at each for attacks.’
Using high-grade monsters for defense offered huge advantages despite limited numbers.
‘Respawn speed.’
Unlike rare-grade and higher, high-grade monsters respawned quickly. Even if killed, they’d revive soon during a prolonged siege!
With a solid defensive line, it’d be hard to seize key points with ordinary forces.
Especially if Heavenly Divine Beasts were mixed in?
‘Dangerous in a whole different way from high-grade inland monsters.’
Raw power mattered as entities, but scaling up meant more than that. Even hero-grade [Bright Rebels] had conquered the legendary-grade Spore Forest.
Humanoid monsters couldn’t know they were game NPCs, but.
Unlike others, their full intellect let them learn empirically: they revived upon death, and humans dropped items when killed.
They could exploit the game system.
“...So, what brings the Heavenly God’s children charging into my castle without warning?”
Edward, looking down at me, curves his eyes like crescent moons.
“This... this, this.”
His surprised expression brims with delight.
“You really are the Bandit Baron himself. To think you’d come alone, leaving such a grand army and castle behind. Truly a great hero.”
Not praise, of course. He was thrilled things were going too easy because of his arrogance and stupidity.
“That your answer?”
I stared at Edward. He still looked utterly human.
Enlightened Zealot (Legendary)
Edward
Right. No differences beyond that title and rank. If they wanted, they could blend in with humans seamlessly.
“...”
Edward’s friendly smile fades as he stares into my eyes. After a moment, he speaks.
“A thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. We are not invaders, but servants of the Heavenly God and guardians of humanity. Human hero, open the gates at once and welcome the host of light.”
Wooong!
His gaze carries momentum. His tone shifts.
Intimidating, but instead of reacting, I ask,
“And what do we gain from that?”
Edward’s face darkens.
He rises, raising his voice like an orator.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no Heavenly God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds loathsome; there is no one who does good! I thought you a human hero, but you speak only of gains, you scoundrel! Foolish and greedy!”
“So, surrender for nothing in return?”
“Those who sin belong to the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning. The Heavenly God’s son has come to destroy the devil’s works! Before the glory of kneeling at the Heavenly God’s feet, you dare speak of payment? Then I ask you! How much for your sins?”
Gone was the gentle demeanor from mere 30 seconds ago; now he brimmed with murderous intent.
And not just him.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Heavenly God Soldiers in heavy plate form a circular encirclement. Beyond them, Heavenly God Priests (Rare) murmur prayers.
“Hmm.”
But I feel no fear.
I can’t.
“Madman Edward.”
“You insolent cur!”
“Impertinent! How dare you to His Holiness...!”
Furious shouts from soldiers and priests.
I laugh in disbelief.
“Pope now? Well... makes sense, in a way.”
Zealot Edward was once the Heresy Inquisitor of the Holy Empire. Known even among priests as ‘Madman’ for his extreme belief in the Heavenly God alone.
‘The game becoming reality... changes things.’
Even as a special boss, his in-game role was Heresy Inquisitor.
But now, wielding special boss power to claim vast lands, he’d become Pope. Monsters had desires and politics too.
“In other words, maybe we don’t have to fight... but.”
In the midst of his tens of thousands, I toss a card into the air.
“Your attitude says otherwise.”
Yeah. Pointless worry.
Humans war with human-like monsters—and each other.
Rumble...
Storm clouds gather.
“He’s doing something! Attack!”
“Sever the unbeliever’s head! Crucify him!”
“Anyone not written in the Book of Life is thrown into the lake of fire!”
A Heavenly God Holy Knight (Hero) chanting prayers charges with a glowing sword.
Another oddity.
‘No Holy Knight monsters existed. Hero-grade, no less.’
No time for deep thought. Holy Knights and Heavenly God Soldiers swarm. Far off, priests begin hymns.
Tight, systematic assault.
‘Pathetic.’
I glance at Edward atop his ornate palanquin. The strongest fighter here, yet the Pope doesn’t budge.
Thanks to that, my draw completes before they reach me.
[All praise Him. The first Mythic (Pet) is born here.]
[His name is Han Jaeyeon.]
[For 24 hours from now, all hunting grounds receive 100% EXP buff.]
[Stack activated!]
[For 24 hours from now, all hunting grounds receive 300% EXP buff.]
Kugoogoo...!
The earth shakes. Charging soldiers tumble; even knights halt in panic.
“Th-the ground!?”
“What in the...!”
“B-below! Something from below...!”
All gasp in shock. Even Edward’s smug face pales.
That instant.
The ground.
Erupts.
Fwoosh!
The surrounding terrain recedes sharply. Screams erupt from the elevator-like ascent.
But a roar drowns them all.
[Uoooooooaaaaah-----!]
A sound like gale-force winds through a tunnel amplified millions of times shakes heaven and earth.
-Bigger than mountains. Deeper than abysses.
-The ultimate world-devouring catastrophe.
The packed Heavenly God army scatters. I stand on scales three meters across, gazing down at stunned Edward.
“Say hello.”
Good thing I didn’t bring it out in the castle. The city might’ve been wrecked.
“Your senior.”
Same special boss, mythic-grade—senior fits, probably.
Collection achieved!
Catastrophe of the Earth (Complete Landworm) All Stats +10
Not as mountain-sized as described.
This massive worm, covered in metallic-scaled hide, is merely(?) as thick as sixteen subway cars stacked.
But its length is immense; even with over a hundred meters surfaced, estimating the full span is hard.
“Well, you’ll see.”
When I rode Kasim here, I wanted a greeting roar but held back. Pet skills share cooldowns across all pets.
‘Makes sense, or players would cycle hundreds endlessly.’
So thinking, I stand tall on the Landworm’s head.
And command.
“Landworm. Leap!”
Skill command activated!
But unexpectedly.
[Si.......]
“Si?”
Startled by the voice in my head.
This thing speaks?
‘What’s ‘si’? What does it mean?’
Puzzled, the mountain-sized mythic beast replies slowly.
[Si...... ]
So leisurely, it’s infuriating.
[runnn...... awayyy.......]
“...?”
I blink, confused, then groan.
“What? You refuse?”
[If you...... order me...... must I...... obey?]
A perfectly reasonable question! Sure, no reason it must obey just because I say so.
But free will now? I drop the command and open the system UI.
I spam-tap [Landworm: Great Destruction] skill.
No dice. The Landworm doesn’t budge.
“What the...”
Flash!
Blinding light strikes me. I foresaw it but couldn’t dodge positionally, so I tank it.
“Demon! You summoned a demon! Filthy unbeliever! By the Heavenly God’s mercy, I’ll punish you!”
Sharp one; he noticed the Landworm defies me and strikes immediately.
Pointless, though.
90% reduced holy damage can’t hurt much. Even in suboptimal luck gear.
Then, surprisingly, the Landworm speaks.
[Help...... you......?]
“Oh! For real!?”
[You feel...... familiar...... I like...... If you give...... something tasty...... I’ll jump...... lightly...... ]
Tasty...
The childish phrasing baffles me, but I calm and ask,
“You want food!? What?”
Eyeing the approaching Heavenly God Soldiers. The Landworm answers.
[Gold...... 2 tons...... or so...... ]
“...What?”
Dumbfounded, I echo. Its voice wavers less confidently.
[If short...... 1.5 tons...... fine...... ]
“...”
My newly hired mythic pet.
Was very expensive.