Savior of the Beastmen (3)
Chaos reigned in the world of Luddera as players flooded in to climb the Labyrinth Tower. Then, a system message rang out across the realm.
Labyrinth Tower Floor 2, Sprigganz Great Desert, has been cleared by player 'Brigand' and 0 others.
Ownership of the Sprigganz Great Desert is granted to player 'Brigand', the top contributor to the main quest.
"That guy Brigand... went in alone and actually pulled it off."
"As expected from the Beast King who founded a nation single-handedly. What insane speed."
The other players still wandering the desert froze at the system message appearing before their eyes.
By player 'Brigand''s choice, all maps except the Duamutef Evacuation Pyramid sector are now open to players.
"...Open?"
"Is that what ownership means? ...Then we mobilize every resource from the Republic and push into the Labyrinth Tower!"
'Labyrinth Tower Floor 2 Cleared'
The monumental news spread far and wide via world message.
Moreover, the system revealed that the top contributor to the main quest piercing the Labyrinth Tower would gain ownership of that world.
'Climb the Labyrinth Tower and claim a world of your own!'
Now that it was proven classes and items from Luddera could influence reality to some degree, resources within Luddera rivaled real-world value in importance.
In this context, ownership—guaranteed by the GM's system, allowing control even over other players' passage—was beyond imagination!
Players who entered Floor 2 of the Labyrinth Tower revealed the Sprigganz Great Desert rivaled the Empire's entire territory in size, drawing the continent's gaze to this vast domain within the tower.
"Succeed once, and I could be emperor!"
"Nobles are born from somewhere! Let me be king for once!"
Vast hordes of players surged toward the tower, desperate to conquer it.
System-guaranteed ownership meant no fear of theft.
It was a treasure any powerbroker would covet.
Thus, players brimming with ambition began scaling the tower.
On the other hand, after annihilating Apophis, Beast King Brigand—who had ordered his right-hand man to relay the beastmen's history, the forgotten god Duamutef, and the GM's gracious message to all beastkin—stood before a massive throne at the heart of the Evacuation Pyramid.
"This vast territory's ownership returned wholly to me... no, to all beastkin. Our rightful land."
Though his fist felled Apophis, it wasn't solely his doing.
Alone, he couldn't have landed a single blow before crumbling to a futile strike.
The GM had temporarily infused him with the lost god Duamutef's divine power.
In truth, it was as if the GM himself had erased Apophis.
"Not only granting us the chance to obliterate our ancient foe with our own hands, but preserving our legacy as well... Ah. Our Savior. How shall we repay this grace?"
The enormous throne in the pyramid—prepared for Brigand, master of the desert—went unsat. Instead, he bowed before it.
Its true owner was not he.
He dared not claim that seat.
"We shall serve eternally. As one reborn by Your grace, I become Your servant. Reign forever, our Savior GM."
Granting Duamutef's power and ceding desert ownership were merely pre-set features of the Labyrinth Tower content by Albus.
Apophis, Duamutef, the fallen ancient empire—all figments of Albus's imagination.
To Brigand, for whom fictional entities were alien, they were undeniable truth.
"...Thus, as the chosen race blessed by the gods with the destiny to guard the Mid-Realm, we must faithfully..."
'This is driving me insane with boredom.'
The continental dragon conclave, held once every decade.
At its center, Red Dragon Kartesia propped her chin, enduring the Dragon Lord's sermon.
'Our darling Albus prepared special content just for me, and here I am, wasting time instead of enjoying it properly.'
With the Labyrinth Tower added and players thrilled, Kartesia sat idly in this gathering.
Usually, as an ancient dragon of seniority, she'd ignore other dragons' calls to dive into Luddera. But with the Dragon Lord presiding, even she couldn't skip the conclave.
'Please end early today.' Of course, she knew it wouldn't.
Dragons: the race blessed by gods as Mid-Realm guardians, granted ten millennia of life, intellect, and memory beyond compare.
A blessing all envied—yet eternal lifespans without forgetfulness bred unbearable tedium.
As guardians, they couldn't roam freely causing chaos.
Thus, dragons chose diversion: polymorphing into other intelligences, living alternate lives.
This pastime eased boredom somewhat.
But limits existed. Even new lives grew stale after eons, especially for ancient dragons.
Kartesia, least tolerant of dullness, had reached her breaking point.
Forced to continue as a magic tower mage, she teetered on corruption into a demon dragon.
Then, she encountered a virtual world: Luddera, born from Albus with the magic tower's aid.
A new world...
Albus had crafted a fantasy realm from his past-life memories—utterly alien to Kartesia's continent.
Within, she savored a truly novel 'diversion.'
Though Albus's novice magic made spells crude and the world imperfect.
So she abducted him.
A mere human? Dragons even emperors feared. Kidnapping Albus was trivial.
Like snatching a dwarf for toys—initially, Albus seemed no different to her.
She taught him countless spells, showered artifacts and elixirs.
Resources surplus after millennia mattered less than fresh diversion.
Under an ancient dragon's tutelage—the pinnacle of magic—Albus transcended human limits in illusion magic.
Luddera refined; even Kartesia, magic's master, blurred it from reality.
Her fondest dream. She reveled blissfully, aiding Albus and demanding new content.
Soon, Albus was no mere lesser human to her.
"Finally, to reiterate..."
'I wonder if he's doing well.'
Amid the endless Dragon Lord sermon, Kartesia thought of Albus.
As an Empire subject entering the academy, he'd pause Luddera updates—but just before, he dropped the massive 'Labyrinth Tower,' Luddera's first mega-content.
A colossal tower of worlds. No easy feat, yet made solely for her.
Even the Empire's founding emperor—her prized disciple—gave no such gift.
From a humble human body, this boon. How could she not adore him?
'Then why can't I enjoy it?!'
She yearned to check the community for Luddera's buzz, but amid gathered dragons, magic was impossible.
'Ugh!'
Kartesia swallowed her rage inwardly.
In the Empire capital's palace—
Woooong.
"Great Ancestor."
In the Empire's innermost sanctum, barred to all but the emperor, the absolute sovereign knelt before a shimmering dimensional gate, awaiting someone.
"Mm, yeah, yeah. Doing well?"
A youthful man removed his helmet, greeting the emperor casually.
"You've aged a lot while I was gone. Wrinkles everywhere. You were still firm last time. No issues, right?"
The Empire's founding emperor, Imperator, whose feats from commoner to ruler defied belief, peered down at the current emperor.
"In the 20 years since Your Excellency left the continent, the Empire conquered 36 new mines from northern barbarians..."
The emperor began reporting national achievements, but—
"Nah, stop."
The founding emperor waved him off.
"Skip the boring stuff. Not interested."
Publicly dead, his reality differed. Transcending human limits, he gained demigod status, unbound by lifespan.
But with her—his lifelong guide, the Empire's true raison d'être—gone, he entrusted the throne to a subordinate and wandered dimensions seeking her.
The Empire was mere repository of memories with her. As long as intact, details mattered little.
"No peculiarities, then?"
Each journey yielded no trace across vast dimensions.
He'd hoped she returned here seeking him—but no.
'If Teacher were on the continent, it wouldn't pass quietly. I'd hear something. Current emperor knows nothing, so probably not.'
As he pondered the next dimension—
"That is..."
The current emperor spoke as if recalling something.
"Hm? What? A god's resurrection? Impossible."
Learning of Luddera sweeping the continent, he scoffed.
"Once divinity touches a being, no wheel of reincarnation. Extinct gods never return."
Centuries traversing dimensions taught him: divine extinction was absolute.
"Some misunderstanding?"
"Yet beastkin across the continent..."
"What? Beastkin gained a religion?"
Unthinkable during his stay—yet intriguing.
"Defies natural order."
An irregularity warping cosmic law. Perhaps a clue to finding Teacher.
"Fine. How to reach this Luddera?"
He never imagined the human beloved by his teacher ruled Luddera.
Nor that he'd meet an NPC mirroring his teacher's form within.