The Empty Nest

The Chinese minions and players were wiped out in under five minutes. There was no need to borrow the strength of my allies.

“That’s Yu Jinho.”

“No wonder his kill count was so ridiculous.”

“At this rate, couldn’t he clear the promotion match by himself?”

The Korean players stared at me with sparkling eyes. Envy bloomed across their retinas.

“You guys are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠going to help me.”

“Yes, sir! Just say the word!”

“Block the minions as best you can.”

“……Yes?”

The Korean players answered a beat late.

“I already told you. We’re saving the minions’ stamina.”

Skull Hands and Mud Traps alone wouldn’t be enough to completely restrain them. If necessary, we’d block their path with our bodies.

“You mean we should physically block them.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

“Everyone, follow Yu Jinho’s orders!”

The Korean players moved with enthusiasm to block the path.

“……”

“……”

The minions only twitched in place, unable to advance. This would do.

With a relaxed mind, I reached toward the corpses of the Chinese minions. Could I extract their essences with Devour?

“It actually works.”

I barely held back a laugh. Minions were treated the same as golems. They were nothing compared to scavengers. As expected of a top-tier class with the same advancement conditions as Almighty.

After dealing with the second wave, I spoke.

“Let’s move.”

The Korean players split to either side. Like water rushing through an open dam, the sixty-strong swarm of minions advanced along the canyon toward the Chinese team’s first fortress.

The fortress stood tall beyond the canyon. Even with Clairvoyance, I couldn’t sense any players inside.

-Why do you look so displeased?

“I just can’t believe the Chinese actually went for second place.”

I stroked my chin. Especially for Ping Lei, the core of the Chinese team, second place wouldn’t be satisfying.

At that moment, urgent footsteps echoed in my ears.

-That direction belongs to our allies.

A player came running from behind the canyon.

“This is bad! This is terrible!”

The man wearing a Korean team mark above his head gasped for breath, shouting with his chin raised. Something must have happened on the Laos battlefield.

I lightly grabbed the messenger’s shoulder as he panted.

“What happened?”

“Huff, huff. China and Laos have joined forces.”

-Contractor, your disciple……!

Nyx’s voice shot up. Even though they bickered, she was worried when Lee Jiyoung was in danger. What a merciful goddess.

“All the better.”

The Chinese. Was their only plan to gang up on us?

-Even with you, your disciple alone lacks the strength.

“Heh, when it comes to simply holding out, there’s no one better than Jiyoung.”

The greatest advantage of Vibration Barrier was its cost-effectiveness. It consumed a lot of mental energy because it required calculating all coordinates, but in return, its mana consumption was low compared to its durability and destructive power.

“Mors, come out.”

“You called, sir— I mean, valued customer.”

“How much for mana potions?”

“1,000 CP each, sir.”

“Damn expensive. Give me three.”

Mors pulled blue-liquid potions from his extradimensional space. CP was deducted immediately. Because it was linked to the Babel Tower system, there was no way to scam it.

“You, take these and deliver them.”

“What should I tell them?”

“Tell them not to think about pushing back the alliance—just hold out.”

“She seems to have plenty of mana, so I don’t think she’ll need potions……”

“Who said you were drinking them? Give them to Jiyoung.”

“Ah, to the lady with the second-highest kill count…… Understood!”

The messenger caught his breath and ran back the way he came.

-Are you sure it’s fine to leave it to your disciple?

“She just needs to hold out for an hour.”

Our side already had ten buffs stacked. By now, the Korean players should be clearing the monster nests that had appeared in their formation. Once fifteen or more buffs stacked, they could easily push through the first fortress.

“So I’m going to grab the other two.”

-In their territory?

“They left their main base empty, so they should be prepared to lose it.”

If I ran toward Laos, they wouldn’t be easily pushed back. But with their overwhelming numbers, holding the line would be the best we could do. Even if we tried to push forward, it would take time.

“We’re going to use this situation against them.”

The power vacuum created by China and Laos allying. An opportunity to easily devastate the now-empty Chinese formation.

Because of the canyon’s terrain, only a limited number could enter at once, making it hard to leverage numerical superiority. They would either have to push with a small force possessing overwhelming breakthrough power, or use their numbers for a wheel war. The first option was difficult because of Jiyoung. The only choice left for the China-Laos alliance was the second.

While they were held up in the canyon, we would raid their main base.

-Your recklessness never fails to amaze me.

Nyx sighed.

After hunting the Chinese players who had been clearing monster nests as a set, I activated Cloud Flow Steps and Light Body Technique simultaneously and returned to the domination crystal. The Korean players who had cleared the skeleton nest were also returning.

“Wow, you actually raided their side?”

“We were struggling even when we teamed up.”

“The Chinese didn’t just sit around either.”

“Good thing we’re on the same team. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened otherwise……”

Buffs piled up layer by layer. The moment the minion buffs reached fifteen stacks, the blue light surrounding the domination crystal shot into the sky.

Preparations to raid the Chinese empty house were complete.

“You all head toward Laos.”

I briefly explained the situation and ran back toward the Chinese canyon. The first fortress was engulfed in flames. The blue minions, wrapped in enhanced buffs, pounded the fortress walls relentlessly. Cracks spread and the fortress crumbled. The half-destroyed turrets fired heavy shells, but Barrier Field and Magnetic Force intercepted the attacks aimed at the minions.

“Damn Koreans. How dare you while we were gone!”

“Ping Lei will arrive soon. We just need to hold until then.”

“Focus on reducing the number of minions.”

The Chinese players who had died earlier returned to the battlefield.

-It seems they still haven’t tasted enough bitterness.

“You’re telling me.”

-Like moths flying into a flame, burning their own lives.

Using the goddess’s lament as background music, I massacred the Chinese players. The number of minions grew with time, while the first fortress’s durability rapidly decreased. With a heavy groan, the fortress wall collapsed under accumulated damage.

Our allies’ fortress fell faster than the Chinese formation’s walls crumbled.

“Yu Jinho, how far do you plan to go?”

“At least one barracks needs to be smashed.”

Destroying the fortress wasn’t enough. I had to teach the Chinese the price of their petty tricks. The buffed minions advanced without hesitation. With no players blocking the way, we only had to deal with the red minions coming from the opposite direction.

Strike added knockback and extra damage. Mana Core was a passive that aided magic usage. The moment I absorbed the essence, a new mana organ settled just below my heart.

-Not a bad effect.

“Still inferior to Dragon Heart.”

I placed a hand on my chest. Dragon Heart was a skill obtained by extracting the essence of dragonkin soldiers. It literally transformed my body into a dragon’s heart—an engine for handling mana. Mana Core was similar in nature to Dragon Heart. However, a heart and a doll’s mana engine couldn’t be placed on the same level.

-So that’s why there was no synergy effect.

Well, I’d have to organize this later.

As we approached the Chinese team’s main base, the secondary turrets installed on the walls opened fire simultaneously.

Thud! I leaped into the air. I took the incoming shells with my body. My carapace durability was consumed, but it was manageable.

-A second wave is coming.

“They know who’s actually threatening.”

Dense darkness surged from behind me. I deployed multiple barriers with the power of Polar Night to catch the shells. The darkness shattered like glass. I deployed new barriers each time. My total Polar Night was 80. Each veil of darkness could hold 4 power. Even subtracting recovery, I could deploy them twenty times in succession.

“……”

“……”

Our minions broke through the walls and entered, destroying the barracks as well.

Around the time the barracks fell, Ping Lei ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and the Chinese players arrived at the castle. Nearly ninety of them. Most of the players, excluding those who had died twice in a row, had gathered. Our side had only ten. If it came to a head-on fight, even I would struggle.

-Time to retreat.

“No. Now’s the time to gamble.”

I clenched my fist. The number of blue minions had reached the hundreds through repeated waves. Only the twin guardian towers protected the domination crystal. Their firepower was sufficient. If I could just pin down Ping Lei and the Chinese players’ feet, we could push all the way to the domination crystal.

“Even if you die, you come back after sixty minutes.”

“How dare you! You arrogant Korean! How far will you insult our great nation!”

“Overinterpreting much. When did I insult all of China?”

I swept my index finger across the Chinese players.

“I only insulted the ones standing here.”

“You damn Korean!!!!”

Led by Ping Lei, the group of Chinese players charged toward me.