Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: One-Man Legion (2)
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‘How many provisional brigades can I make?’
A test was needed.
Even if they were provisional, he couldn’t hand out brigade commander positions to just anyone.
After a moment of contemplation, Kang Hyun-soo summoned Death Knight Jera, who held the same demon baron rank as Bernard.
He then assigned the summon commanders capable of forming brigades under Death Knight Jera’s command.
[Regimental Commander Death Knight Jera has been appointed as the provisional brigade commander.]
[Stats are consumed.]
[Death Knight Jera’s rank has changed from regimental commander to brigade commander (provisional).]
[The legion commander can create 2 provisional brigades.]
[Provisional brigades can be composed of a minimum of 1,500 and a maximum of 3,000 troops.]
‘Two, huh?’
He had confirmed it for sure.
However.
‘The troop allocation is high.’
Originally, up to provisional regiments could only be formed with about half the troops of a regular regiment.
But for provisional divisions and brigades.
‘It exceeds half.’
Not half of a regular division or brigade, but they could be formed with two-thirds the troops.
‘This is plenty.’
His total forces had increased from 100,000 to 116,000.
Including provisional regiments?
He could easily hold over 120,000 troops.
But beyond the troops, the bigger gain was being able to appoint one division commander and two brigade commanders.
‘I need to appoint the rest too.’
Kang Hyun-soo appointed Magic Dragon Karas, Doppelganger King Taliman, and Orc Lord Kashku as division commanders.
Then, he appointed one Orc Lord as a provisional brigade commander and the remaining two Orc Lords as regular brigade commanders.
‘Now three brigade commander spots left.’
He planned to give these three to his subordinate commanders, not summons.
‘Not just Terra Kingdom—I’ll need to stop by the Rokto Empire too.’
The owners of those three remaining brigade commander spots were already decided.
‘But first, I should promote those three.’
Currently, Song Ha-na, Beast Emperor, and Yuka all held battalion commander ranks.
‘There were no open regimental commander spots back then.’
That’s why he couldn’t give them to the three.
But now the situation had changed.
‘They’re not the types to rely on buffs.’
Kang Hyun-soo could have given Song Ha-na and Beast Emperor stronger buffs and better items sooner.
But he had held off as much as possible.
Power given by him, not earned by them themselves, could become poison.
‘But that’s in the past.’
Song Ha-na and Beast Emperor had already surpassed that stage.
They hadn’t grown weak relying on the power from EX-Rank items.
Nor had they grown lazy depending on buffs.
‘Yuka doesn’t need worrying about either.’
She was the one who pursued strength with madness in her eyes.
“Your job rank went up, right?”
At Song Ha-na’s question, Kang Hyun-soo nodded and opened his mouth.
“I’m a One-Man Legion now.”
“You can appoint division and brigade commanders?”
“Yeah, four division commanders and seven brigade commanders.”
Kang Hyun-soo nodded as he spoke.
“Then?”
“There’s room in the regimental commander spots now. I’ll promote you right away.”
Starting with Song Ha-na, Kang Hyun-soo promoted Beast Emperor and Yuka from battalion commanders to regimental commanders.
“Thanks, Hyun-soo!”
Song Ha-na gave an awkward smile as she expressed her gratitude.
“Ooh!”
A smile bloomed across Beast Emperor’s lips.
“Hee hee hee!”
Yuka couldn’t stop laughing, thrilled at receiving Kang Hyun-soo’s recognition.
But none of the three were satisfied with this.
‘I can’t settle for this.’
‘I need to get stronger.’
‘I’ll definitely earn it.’
Even with three brigade commander spots open.
They didn’t go to Song Ha-na, Beast Emperor, or Yuka.
To Kang Hyun-soo, summons still came first and foremost for the highest positions.
Second best were either summons or vacancies.
In cold evaluation, Song Ha-na, Beast Emperor, and Yuka were merely next in line—not the best or even second best.
That was what frustrated the three the most.
Especially for Song Ha-na, who had been with Kang Hyun-soo since the tutorial.
She was his first companion and commander.
For her, being pushed further back in the rankings was.
‘I’ll become number one no matter what!’
One of the unbearable humiliations.
“Hunt around here for a while. I have somewhere to go for a bit.”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
“You’re off to fill those empty brigade commander spots, huh?”
Division commanders were full with four summons.
But three brigade commander spots remained.
“Yeah, won’t take too long.”
“Got it. See you.”
Kang Hyun-soo smiled at Song Ha-na’s words, then summoned a flying mount, hopped on its back, and took off.
‘This is the last time.’
Song Ha-na clenched her fist.
She hadn’t been chosen this time.
But next time his job rank rose?
‘I’ll be the first promoted.’
To keep that vow, Song Ha-na gripped her sword again and resumed hunting monsters.
Following her lead, Beast Emperor and Yuka hunted monsters at a ferocious pace.
From that day, the monsters in the high-level hunting ground started drying up at an astonishing rate.
* * *
The first place Kang Hyun-soo headed was Terra Kingdom.
‘It’s been a while.’
The first time was when he’d set foot in the Atlantis dimension.
The last was to suck up Hwang So-wook’s experience.
‘He must’ve leveled up a ton.’
It had been quite a while since his last visit, so by now he’d hit at least level 500.
‘I need to wrap this up quick.’
Having appointed Ice Flower Divine Sword and Fist God as commanders, and raised the ranks of his summons and Song Ha-na’s group, Kang Hyun-soo’s stats were nearly depleted.
‘Finish things here and focus on hunting.’
To create summons exceeding 100,000?
He’d need stats beyond imagination.
‘No time to rest.’
He had to move as diligently as possible.
Kang Hyun-soo headed straight for Balhae Guild.
“Who are you?”
Upon arriving at Balhae Guild’s guild house, the guarding guild members blocked his path.
“I’m here to see the guild master.”
Swish.
Along with his words, Kang Hyun-soo held out a badge.
It symbolized his status as an executive in the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.
“Ah, from the Alliance. Please come in.”
The guarding guild members politely escorted him.
‘They’ve secured a good position.’
The Other-Dimensional Player Alliance had been formed under Kang Hyun-soo’s orders, centered on Red Flame Emperor Dorchoff.
Balhae Guild was a member.
Their softened expressions suggested.
‘No power struggles, it seems.’
He’d worried about clashing egos among massive guilds, but fortunately, Red Flame Emperor Dorchoff seemed to have unified them well.
‘Or maybe because both are under me.’
Conflicts with other major guilds could arise.
But Kang Hyun-soo trusted Red Flame Emperor Dorchoff.
“You’ve arrived.”
Balhae Guild’s guild master, Sword King Jang Seok-won, bowed his head politely to welcome Kang Hyun-soo.
“No issues in the meantime?”
“No, just hunting like a hamster on a wheel to pass the time.”
Confidence overflowed in Sword King Jang Seok-won’s expression.
Thanks to Kang Hyun-soo, he’d racked up achievements effortlessly.
He’d power-leveled through subjugating the orc and undead legions, so it was warranted.
‘And he’s kept at it steadily since.’
He downplayed it as just hamster-wheel hunting.
‘But that’s no easy feat.’
At Sword King Jang Seok-won’s level?
Gaining even one level required immense time investment.
Compared to the effortless achievements and power-leveling from Kang Hyun-soo?
It’d be meager results for the effort.
But.
‘Focusing on those meager gains is talent too.’
Persistence, tenacity, diligence.
The basics.
But essential talents for becoming a top-tier named player.
“So, what brings you here?”
Sword King Jang Seok-won asked with a puzzled look.
“Got something for you.”
“Huh?”
At Sword King Jang Seok-won’s question, Kang Hyun-soo used the commander appointment skill.
[Battalion Commander Jang Seok-won has been appointed as brigade commander.]
[Stats are consumed.]
[Jang Seok-won’s rank has changed from regimental commander to brigade commander.]
“Ooooh!”
His rank jumped two levels at once.
All stats increased by 10%.
The change was bound to be powerful.
“Thank you, my lord!”
Sword King Jang Seok-won dropped to his knees on the spot.
Since joining Kang Hyun-soo’s command.
He’d gained massive achievements effortlessly.
Power-leveled too.
In return, had Sword King Jang Seok-won ever properly helped Kang Hyun-soo?
‘Never.’
Yet to grant such immense power regardless?
Sword King Jang Seok-won couldn’t help but be moved.
“Benevolent Army King and Red Flame Emperor will get the same rank as you.”
“I’m the first.”
Sword King Jang Seok-won’s eyes sparkled.
“You know what to do?”
“I’ll maximize the cohesion and control of the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.”
Kang Hyun-soo smiled at Sword King Jang Seok-won’s response.
Good—he got it right away.
Sword King Jang Seok-won, Benevolent Army King Shin Chang-hu, Red Flame Emperor Dorchoff.
Kang Hyun-soo had marked these three for brigade commanders.
Previously, with limited high-command slots, he’d kept them at battalion commanders.
‘But now it’s different.’
Regimental slots were plentiful, battalion ones overflowing.
‘This should let me seize the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.’
These three were the core of the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.
‘Emperor Cecilia helps, but these three are key.’
Rising to brigade commander meant they could command more subordinates.
‘And that’s not all.’
A brigade commander could lead nine battalion commanders.
‘As a battalion commander, only four company commanders.’
Squad and platoon appointments were possible too.
‘But the buffs are too weak.’
With nine battalion commanders appointable.
The number who could be lured in with powerful buffs would skyrocket.
And the targets shouldn’t be just Balhae Guild under Sword King Jang Seok-won.
‘They need to be guild masters in the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.’
He’d secured Rokto Empire’s Emperor Cecilia.
Turned Saclant Empire’s Emperor Karl XIII’s gaze.
And formed the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.
Thus.
‘I stopped the war between nations and other-dimensional players that happened before regression.’
But he couldn’t stop there.
Player wars had also gnawed at Atlantis dimension’s strength.
‘Uniting under one banner doesn’t mean no fights.’
Factions would surely form, some trying to seize the Alliance.
To prevent that.
He needed to empower Alliance leader Red Flame Emperor Dorchoff and his full supporters, Sword King Jang Seok-won and Benevolent Army King Shin Chang-hu.
Atlantis dimension was a dog-eat-dog world prizing strength above all, after all.
‘Come to think of it, I should promote that guy’s rank too.’
Demon-Exterminating Spear King Jin Gu-pyeong.
‘Regimental commander should suffice.’
With his skills.
‘It’s almost too much.’
He was promoting him to regimental commander only because he’d held onto Zhonghua Guild’s master seat and his king title.
Demon-Exterminating Spear King Jin Gu-pyeong was one of the pillars upholding the Other-Dimensional Player Alliance.
‘I’d considered replacing him originally.’
But he was clinging on desperately, so he’d watch for now.
“Off to Zhonghua Guild?”
Sword King Jang Seok-won asked Kang Hyun-soo.
Assuming he’d go to Benevolent Army King Shin Chang-hu next.
“No, something to check first. Bring info on the ones I told you to monitor.”
“Lee Kwang-ho and Lee Cheol-min?”
Kang Hyun-soo nodded at Sword King Jang Seok-won’s question.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll fetch it right away.”
Sword King Jang Seok-won left the room.
‘Time to clean up this time.’
Sword God Lee Kwang-ho.
Guardian God Lee Cheol-min.
Traitors who’d stabbed Kang Hyun-soo in the back.
Owners of Gluttony Sword and Guardian Ring before his regression.
Now it was time to decide their fates.