Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Corrupted Count
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“Th-this is the place...”
Hansen said in a trembling voice.
The Burssen Count's estate.
This was also the family of the First Queen Fourier, who had died three years ago.
Unlike the First Queen, who had no children, the Second Queen Rosia of Russia had quickly borne two sons and ousted her, claiming the true position of queen.
Naturally, the Burssen family had fallen from grace alongside the First Queen.
And so five years passed.
In the end, Queen Fourier passed away, and the Burssen family walked the path of ruin.
'Even for a fallen house... there's not a single sign of life, let alone guards.'
Woojin thought as he gazed at the mansion, which was so neglected it could pass for ruins.
Boom―――!!!!!
Asweil roughly forced open the closed door.
No, he smashed it.
The door shattered into pieces and flew off.
“This is odd.”
There wasn't a single light in the mansion.
Step... Step...
Asweil slowly walked inside.
[Kyaaak――!!!!]
It was then.
A bizarre roar unfit for a count's family echoed out.
Clang――!!!
Asweil raised his sword to block sharp claws flying toward him.
[Grrr...]
The creature twisted in midair and landed on the ground, lowering its stance and growling.
“...What are these things?”
Sharp fangs.
Long claws.
It was a monster unlike any he'd seen before.
No,
Was it really a monster?
'...Human?'
Woojin thought as he lowered his stance and stared at the thing glaring at them.
[Kaaak―――!!!]
The monster charged at Asweil again.
Flash――!!
In that instant, Asweil's sword pierced through the monster at a speed too fast to follow.
Crack... crack...!!
In a flash, its limbs were sliced apart, turning it into chunks of meat.
Thud... roll roll...!!
Something fell amid the chunks of flesh on the floor.
“This is...”
Woojin picked it up.
The small bead resembled the [Refined Black Mana Stone] obtained from the human golem.
“It's the alchemist's handiwork.”
“Yeah. I don't know what those things are, but it's clear the Burssen Count colluded with them.”
Woojin nodded and examined the corpse.
Setsuna lit a flame, and Ed, standing beside Woojin, inspected the mangled corpse.
“Th-this is...”
“Yeah. It's human.”
Bad premonitions always came true.
Woojin could only click his tongue at the result matching his initial suspicions.
“They were making hallucinogens in the outer buildings and researching monsters in the Great Forest. So... what were they doing here?”
It can't be.
But somehow, he had a feeling this bad premonition would hit the mark again.
Among the many doors, one was locked.
Boom――!!
This time, Woojin forced it open.
“...These bastards.”
He ground his teeth at the sight inside the door.
His premonition hadn't been wrong, after all.
-Ugh...
Setsuna turned her head away in disgust.
On one wall, people hung like meat in a butcher shop, their arms bound.
Their split-open stomachs were empty.
Instead, they were stuffed with the rough mana stones from the monster they'd just killed.
But it seemed the process had been interrupted; unfinished mana stones were scattered on the floor.
“Looks like the ones from the outer mansion fled with these guys.”
“Seems that way. But... these people... they look like the mansion's servants, right?”
One of the corpses on the wall wore a tuxedo typical of a butler.
“No way they were doing human experiments here? Even if it's VR... whew... these guys are nuts.”
Woojin grimaced at Ed's words.
As he said, this was virtual reality, a world where you could do whatever you wanted...
But who could casually slice open a human belly and hang the body on a wall?
It made him think virtual reality could breed madness.
Groooaaan...
A black door visible beyond the corpses.
The party knew without a word.
Something was definitely behind that door.
“No sign of the count.”
Asweil said, gripping the handle of the black door.
“Hope he's still in a talking mood.”
Woojin muttered with a sour expression.
Click――.
The handle turned, and the door opened.
“...Ah.”
A dungeon...
Woojin gave a wry smile.
It seemed even his last hope wouldn't come true.
'The count's turned into a monster.'
A question struck Woojin at that moment.
'The hallucinogens and experiments were all done by players. But a dungeon formed because of the mutated count...?'
That meant a hidden dungeon was generated by players' actions.
'Dungeons aren't just made by AI; they change based on player behavior?'
If so, it meant [Ethan] could adapt scenarios on the fly, not just follow fixed ones.
A truly living world.
“Ed. You stay here and watch this guy.”
“Got it.”
“I'll compensate you for missing the dungeon somehow.”
“Nah, don't worry about it.”
Ed nodded and dragged the fallen alchemist toward him.
[Grrk... grrrk...]
And naturally, phlegmy growls greeted them from within.
[...Who are you?]
The count, seated in a chair, raised his head.
Pale face, bluish lips.
His condition looked dire at a glance.
[Gurk... gurk...]
He dry-heaved.
Red veins crawled up from his throat, past his temples, into his eyes; bloodshot veins filled the whites.
[Who... are you... here...?]
With ragged, saliva-dripping breaths, the count rose.
[You've taken everything from me... What more is there to take!!!]
Drip... drip drip...!!!
His hunched back swelled, shredding his shirt in an instant.
[I...!! Won't lose anything more!!!]
Chest heaving wide, he roared like a wolf, his body growing larger.
[Kraaaah―――!!]
The transformed count was no longer human.
Smaller than the human golems from the Great Forest, but boom―――!!!
It charged at the party with incomparable speed.
“Rumors spread across the Federation that the Second Queen planned the First Queen's death, even from her funeral.”
And the Burssen Count could only watch helplessly.
“To you, sharpening your blade in wait, the alchemists must have seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
Asweil said in a low voice, eyeing the charging count.
“But alas. You ended up used by these outsiders instead.”
Thud――!!!
A heavy fist struck Asweil's cheek.
A dull sound rang out, but his feet didn't budge an inch.
Whoosh――!!
Asweil swung his sword horizontally.
Thud――!!!
A sound like pounding clay.
Instead of slicing flesh, sticky substances clung to the blade.
Crack... craaack...!!
Bones burst from within, multiplying to cover his entire body in an instant.
[Kraaaah...!!!]
Even more monstrous now, the count charged at Asweil again.
An event dungeon.
No time attack title, but quick clears yielded extra rewards.
'Won't even take 10 minutes.'
Woojin thought, glancing at the alert.
Craaack――!!!
The thrusting count's arm snapped clean off.
Thud――!!
As the count collapsed, Asweil brought his sword down.
The broken arm severed.
Using [Eye of Direct Hit], numbers appeared over the count's head.
[Lv.88 Corrupted Burssen Count]
Considering Keruga, the highest current level, had just hit 70, toppling him was near impossible.
Like the black dragon event, a forced defeat scenario.
A mighty beast, but...
“Hup――!!!”
Asweil's sword plunged into the count's shoulder.
Crunch... craaunch...!!
The bones covering his body cracked and fell away one by one.
This time, the outcome differed.
'Because the opponent is a greater monster than a player.'
[Ugh... uugh...]
The battered count slumped limply to the floor.
[Die!! Die...!! Die...!!]
Burssen crawled, scraping at Asweil with blunt, clawless fingers, screaming.
His mad cries contrasted his futile attacks.
“...As a noble, I'll grant you your last honor.”
Asweil sighed lowly, clearly reluctant to drag the monstrous count to the king.
The king himself was hardly sane anyway.
“Burssen Count colluded with alchemists to topple the Esten royal family and incite war with Tekan Kingdom.”
Asweil said, gazing at him.
“I, Asweil Vallan, having confirmed the evidence, by the Antarian Federation Accord...”
Swish――.
He raised his sword.
“...shall execute summary judgment, granted only to those of kingdom-level power.”
Crunch――!!!!!
The count's head fell.
'...Rode the bus properly for once.'
Woojin chuckled involuntarily at the alert.
Used to fighting tooth and nail, this felt awkward.
The count's body vanished, leaving a reward chest.
Curiously, his body disappeared, but the severed head remained.
'Monster corpses usually vanish entirely, even severed parts...'
Because an NPC killed it?
Woojin felt even more bitter seeing the photo of a young girl in the chest.
'Don't really want to take something like this...'
He placed the photo where the count's body had been.
Sir Asweil. This should serve as evidence.”
Woojin pulled out the contract and showed it to him.
The contents were simple.
Providing corpses in exchange for drugs from the alchemists.
“The alchemists said they attacked Tekan due to a corpse shortage. Even if it was their solo act, we can pin it on Burssen for upholding his supply duty.”
Woojin left the room.
The alchemist, who had woken from his daze, grimaced at the contract in Woojin's hand.
'Probably a quest.'
That explained why they'd gone this far. And with the contract found, the quest had likely failed.
'Quests for stuff like this too?'
Hallucinogens, monster research, human experiments...
Things that would cause massive issues in reality.
Yet here, they morphed into quests, happening casually.
'After living in a world like this, can people return to reality with normal thinking?'
Woojin felt a chill of fear.
'Not my place to worry, with my own problems piling up...'
But this left a sour aftertaste unlike before.
“Doubt the addled king will reward us properly.”
Woojin said, tucking the contract away.
“The king's state doesn't matter. I told them clearly: their recompense is a hundredfold Tekan lives.”
In that moment, Woojin intuited it.
Asweil had made up his mind from the start.
“...Planning to start a war?”
“We've needed a pretext all this time.”
Woojin looked at Asweil.
The Antarian Federation.
An alliance doomed to crumble.
“Can't stay a minor kingdom forever. The outsiders' mess is a fine chance.”
“Think Tekan can hold against the five great kingdoms?”
Frankly, drug-riddled Esten or puppet Tekan looked the same to Woojin.
“With me, yes.”
Asweil said, picking up the count's head from the floor.
“Hansen, come with me to the palace to wrap this up.”
“Hii... hiik... Sp-spare me, please.”
“Handle the alchemist yourself. Outsiders should clean up their own.”
He no longer needed them now that he had cause to attack Esten.
“...You're being too hasty.”
Woojin said, watching Asweil rush like something was chasing him.
“You saw it too. The princes and ministers in the council room.”
He stood still, sighing heavily.
His shoulders shook visibly, weighed down despite nothing being there.
A loyal vassal struggling amid incompetents, unable to rebel.
Frustrating, yet understandable.
'If left alone, Tekan would crumble first.'
Woojin didn't want to miss the chance.
“Become king instead.”
Kwaaaang―――!!
In that instant, Asweil's sword flew at Woojin.
A heavier strike than before.
He barely blocked, but the force nearly shattered his wrist.
“Insolent! Khan!! I cherish you, but I can't overlook such treason!!”
“Tekan will fall.”
“...What?”
“Whether to the five kingdoms or beasts... if you truly want to protect it, you should be king.”
Grip――.
Woojin stood blocking Asweil.
“For your family, at least.”
“Hmph, you know my dull son can fend for himself.”
“Not Karlan.”
“...What?”
“You.”
He knew this was another world.
Just a game, and Iru Lin unborn here.
Woojin wondered if he was immersing too deeply.
Maybe he was going mad...
But still...
He couldn't leave it like this.
“You should at least see your granddaughter's face.”
Iru Lin's face came to mind.