Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Benkal's Ambition
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Bencal.
He was a man with grand ambitions.
From the moment he founded his guild, he had set his sights on lofty goals.
The top ranks.
In other words, advancing to the heart of the continent.
To achieve that, he spared no effort.
Scouting and recruiting talent on foot was just the basics.
Later, he poured massive investments into the guild to solidify its early footing.
The current top-tier guilds that dominated Agas.
To become a shining star like them, he never skimped on funding from the start.
From a name-only guild to a small-scale one.
From a small-scale guild to a decent mid-lower tier one.
The guild's size grew steadily.
Little by little, he was inching toward his ambitions.
Recognizing this, Bencal didn't stop there.
The lower-tier southern region.
He planned to use it as a springboard to leap into the mid-tier areas.
To do that, he needed to dominate the gateway to the mid-tiers: the Fallen Zone.
He had entered the Fallen Zone early, but unfortunately, a ruler had already crushed other guilds and claimed dominance there.
Dokkaebi.
The mightiest force in the south.
They had pacified the lawless zone and monopolized the entire area.
Obstacles blocking his path.
To realize his plans, he needed to eliminate them first.
But they were strong.
Recently recruited rookies and named players.
Plus, absorbing some guilds had turned them into a mid-sized powerhouse, wielding significant influence.
'Like throwing eggs at a rock.'
His guild alone wasn't enough.
Theirs was on a whole different scale.
So Bencal began seeking other ways.
Broadening his view.
Reexamining places he had overlooked before.
And there, he saw them.
The defeated guilds seething with rage after Dokkaebi stole their land.
The moment he spotted them, lightning struck Bencal's mind with a thunderous crack.
Individually, they were mere small guilds.
But what if he united them?
Under a common goal.
What if he gathered them all in one place?
Even if nothing else, their sheer numbers would be impossible to ignore.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy.
'But I'll be at the center.'
Still, Bencal was confident.
He could rally the defeated.
And form an alliance against Dokkaebi.
From then on, Bencal began contacting small guilds on the brink of dissolution.
Slipping them money bit by bit, whispering plausible plans into their ears.
Exaggerating the gains they'd reap after ousting Dokkaebi.
An enticing offer.
He failed to persuade some, but most showed interest.
After that?
Simple.
He'd shoulder the risks.
Promise them chunks of the Fallen Zone later.
A little sweet-talking like that, and it was done.
Thus, the alliance was born.
The Anti-Dokkaebi faction.
'It took longer than expected, but we've made it this far.'
Bencal's plan was succeeding.
Dozens of small guilds.
As they united, their forces surged naturally.
With Bencal leading from the center, they began pushing Dokkaebi out bit by bit.
The result?
They had seized over 40% of Dokkaebi's territory.
The Anti-Dokkaebi Alliance was no longer something to take lightly.
Lishner was probably taken aback by this unforeseen outcome.
Who could have guessed the defeated would harbor such potential?
But it was possible.
Because Bencal led them.
Without him, they would have crumbled after repeated defeats long ago.
Now, all that remained was riding this momentum to claim the rest.
However, they had been locked in a stalemate lately, with no further progress.
'But that won't last much longer.'
Shh.
Bencal pulled out and unfolded something.
A detailed blueprint on blue paper.
The internal layout of the Ant Den dungeon.
'At first, I thought it was just a deep underground tunnel.'
But upon thorough exploration, it was far more than that.
Tunnels dug by ants expanding their territory.
They stretched so far they pierced half the Fallen Zone.
In that moment, Bencal had an idea.
What if we use this to our advantage?
From then on, the alliance started deploying residents and guild members into the Ant Den.
Refining the ants' tunnels.
Digging further to create underground passages.
And two weeks later.
They finally connected it to the nearest city.
An underground network for the alliance alone.
The first step taken.
'Underground passages linking all cities!'
It's possible.
With more manpower and funding, it was entirely feasible.
'No, maybe even straight into enemy territory!'
Sensing this, Bencal ramped up taxes massively and extorted money under various pretexts, committing all sorts of abuses.
To fund the underground construction.
Complaints?
Condemnation?
He had anticipated that much.
That's why he pushed forward despite the backlash.
Those voices would fade with time anyway.
'Once this is complete, the Fallen Zone is ours.'
He'd become the ruler of the entire region.
From there, using it as a base to advance higher wouldn't be impossible.
Mid-tiers.
Even top-tiers.
Gradually absorbing the south, extending influence to the continent's core.
'Just hold on until then.'
If word leaked midway, the plan would collapse instantly.
So for now, stay hidden.
Control information tightly.
Proceed in secret, biding time for the future.
'We've managed so far, so surely ahead too...'
Then.
Creeeak!
A man with a sleazy look entered the room.
Bencal's younger brother.
Getrol.
"There you are, bro."
"...Kim Hyeon-tae?"
"Who else? It's me."
Kim Hyeon-tae.
Getrol smirked as he approached.
Bencal's face hardened instantly.
He had entrusted him with managing the Ant Den interior recently, yet here he was, popping up at the alliance HQ out of nowhere.
"What are you doing here instead of the Ant Den?"
"Ah, I left it to the guild members for a bit..."
"Kim Hyeon-tae, I told you to keep it under strict watch until completion."
"Come on, they're handling it fine without me. And we've got tight control from above—who's gonna sneak into the Ant Den? You're too paranoid, bro."
"..."
Getrol shrugged with a chuckle, but froze when he met Bencal's icy gaze.
"H-Haha, yeah. Being paranoid means you're cautious, right?"
"Sigh."
"Sniff, I'll head back soon, so lighten up. I came to talk about something important."
Only then did Bencal relax, settling back into his chair.
"So, what is it?"
"Remember that class reunion I mentioned? It's set for this week. So, this weekend..."
"You can't make it?"
"Y-Yeah... uh, right."
"..."
Eyes without a flicker of hesitation.
Getrol broke into a cold sweat under that stare.
But soon, Bencal nodded, easing the tension.
"Can't be helped if you told me in advance."
"You're... okaying it?"
"Yeah, but..."
Flinch!
Bencal glared sharply at Getrol.
"Don't cause trouble. No blabbing about the alliance."
"O-Of course not!"
"Good. Now go."
"Got it, thanks bro!"
Getrol bounded out excitedly.
Bencal let out a deep sigh watching him go.
His brother, who had always lived off family prestige.
Bragging in front of others was Getrol's daily routine.
'And that habit of looking down on people.'
Lots to worry about.
'But it's just a reunion.'
He had warned him. Probably nothing major.
Bencal thought so as he picked up the papers on his desk.
Meanwhile, inside the Ant Den that Bencal valued so highly.
An unexpected intruder had slipped in.
It was Luke.
'As expected, toward the queen's chamber.'
The Eternal Compass in his hand.
Its needle, powered by Del Marque's map, kept pointing to one spot.
Underground level 6.
Toward the queen ant's chamber.
Confirming via the Ant Den blueprint, Luke cautiously landed on the floor.
Luke had climbed down the alliance's installed ladders to the lowest level.
'Good, perfect so far.'
If he could sneak into the queen's chamber undetected, it'd be even better.
Luke moved slowly, following the light of torches lining the passages.
"Queeik."
"Queeeik."
Giant ants at what looked like a crossroads.
Far larger than those upstairs.
Soldier ants.
Ones guarding the queen.
Level 120.
Such foes dotted the area.
But like above, respawns seemed suppressed here too.
Fortunately, their numbers were low.
What worried him more were the users atop the cliff.
"Hey, another one popped out there."
"Yawn, already?"
Just then, they turned toward the soldier ants.
Mages.
Archers.
All ranged types.
Whoosh!
Boom!
Queeik!
Guild members casually firing spells and arrows from the cliff.
The freshly spawned soldier ant couldn't withstand the barrage and died instantly.
Luke's eyes darted quickly at the scene.
Way up there...
'The bridge in the middle.'
But the bridge was too exposed.
Crossing that narrow thing would get him spotted midway.
Only one option left.
'Climb the wall.'
Luke dodged the soldier ants and pressed against the cliff base.
After scaling the wall like that.
Voices soon echoed from above.
Users at the cliff edge.
Climbing up would get him caught immediately.
'This calls for a pebble.'
The pebble he'd picked up before climbing.
Gripping it, Luke hurled it leftward.
Plunk!
"Huh?"
"What was that sound...?"
Heads turning.
'Now!'
Luke wouldn't miss the chance.
Swish!
Direction: right.
He scaled over there too.
Slipping past their gaze, he darted into the inner passage.
Soon, a vast cavern opened before him.
[Queen Ant Corpse]
In the center lay a massive ant corpse, dead recently.
'The queen ant.'
Mother to all ants.
Now a cold corpse.
Luke approached cautiously.
Hand outstretched—
'Huh?'
Beyond it, a small iron door came into view.
An artificial structure out of place in the Ant Den.
'A door in the queen's chamber...? How...'
'Won't budge... tried everything...'
Now he understood the door mentioned earlier.
Luke stared, then pulled out the map and compass.
The needle pointed at the iron door.
'Del Marque's legacy inside?'
Not certain.
He had to check personally.
With a tense face, Luke approached the door slowly.
The oddly designed iron door.
Strange symbols engraved on both sides.
'...Just like back then.'
The demon cave.
The mysterious altar there.
Similar unlock message as that altar.
Lock level one lower, but still impossible to open now.
Then.
A black crystal gleamed in the door's center.
'Hmm, a gem embedded here?'
A small shard-like crystal.
Luke slowly reached for the black crystal.
That instant.
Shhh.
The firmly locked iron door began to slide open slowly.