74 – Episode 74. Guardian with a Different Name (3)
I’ve been striking for three hours like this.
“Isn’t it time to stop now?”
As Matapju, who was observing the shattered space, swung his arms, a new chair appeared.
This must be the 3000th chair. Of course, there was no sense of impact.
“This place is not just another dimension or a mental space similar to the Guardians’. If we were to compare it to Earth… it’s like advanced video calling. Ah, metaverse? I think that’s what it’s called. Yeah, it’s similar to that.”
“What the hell is that, you nerd?”
The seated Matapju raised both arms on the recreated desk and rested their chin on their hands.
“I told you. It’s not for attack. Both your body and this space are nothing more than simulations. Even the sword you’re holding isn’t real.”
“Whatever.”
They wanted to quickly kill Matapju and end this war, saying, ‘I won! Escape from this otherworldly ninja!’ But as expected, things didn’t go as planned.
“Look, I even took on a human form to talk to you. Let’s stop this and have a conversation. We have no reason to fight.”
“I do.”
“Even so, it’s meaningless. You won’t be able to resist.”
“I’ll decide that.”
“You heard what Lilia said, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know.”
I’ve heard a lot about Matapju’s description.
Mostly because I couldn’t remember.
“Your plan is too obvious. Matapju can’t leave the Matap, and if we only kill her, the power will crumble. So gather exceptional people and attack the Matap, killing Matapju. Well, something like that. There’s no guarantee that you can beat me.”
“Isn’t it?”
Is that plan not bad? Did Lilia also think that way?
“Do you think I just recently discovered the White Dolphin’s headquarters?”
“Do I look like I know?”
“I’ve known the location for ten years. I just waited for you to come dirty. The White Dolphin can be taken care of anytime. I left them as a hostile force to create fear and anxiety. There’s no reason to kill those who can’t even be a threat, right?”
The face of the Martopist who spoke looked a little tired.
I gave them another Ninja Punch because they were a bit annoying.
Of course, it didn’t work.
“What are you trying to say?”
“If I just open my mouth, all the dirt will disappear. The breath of a whale will not even leave a trace of the white whale’s presence.”
“Then why did you send the kids away?”
“I wanted to convince you. I’ll say it again, we don’t need to fight.”
I don’t understand why she’s going to such lengths.
Was I her subordinate in a past life?
“Let me introduce myself again. My name is Monica Sovereign. I am the Martopist of the Red Whale Martop, a transcendent being from another world, and the one who gave Kim Sung-hoon the power to defeat the Observer.”
“So what?”
She turned on an analog television that was far away with a remote control.
“It’s a bit hard to just talk about it. Well, listen while watching the video.”
Ziing- The television turned on with a sound.
The video being broadcast was in first-person perspective, and it started with an observer who was lying quietly suddenly being sucked into an open portal in the air.
“I understand, but this is my memory. I was kidnapped by the Observers in my childhood. No, it wasn’t intentional on their part, so it wouldn’t be considered a kidnapping.”
In front of the Martopist’s eyes, there were five giants made of light.
– …Who summoned the transcendent being from another world?
– It seems there was an error in my algorithm.
– Didn’t I say it? You have to bring them here by your own choice.
– That method won’t quickly increase our kin. This incident was just a minor mistake.
The giants conversed while observing the onlooker, whose eyes blinked as if in confusion.
One giant looked strangely familiar… It’s like a porno, isn’t it?
Matapju suddenly paused the video.
“Some additional explanation is necessary. The Observers haven’t always ruled this world. It was a world managed by beings called spirits. The spirits that the savage tribes serve.”
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Spirits? Were there such beings in this fantasy world?
“The Observers… are a group of individuals who have reached the realm of immortality by discarding their physical bodies. They pretend to be transcendent, but they are essentially mortals. They wanted to increase the number of members in their group. They wanted to grow their influence and dominate the universe.”
“A setting that a pathetic loser sitting in a corner would come up with.”
“They chose this world as a place to cultivate Observers. They drove out the spirits and enslaved the natives. And they abducted beings with the potential to become Observers and forcibly brought the Gogmag tribe, who possessed the technology to facilitate cultivation.”
Matapju pressed the remote control button, and the video resumed playing.
– Still a young group. Perhaps…
One giant reached out towards the onlooker.
Zing-!
It was before the giant’s hand could reach the onlooker.
A sudden burst of red energy emitted from the onlooker’s body, blocking the giant’s approach.
– …Excessively powerful. The potential is immense too.
– Killing would be a waste.
– It’s better to seal it for now.
Matapju, who paused the video, spoke again.
“The Great Five Spirits, leaders of the cosmic abduction organization, called me the ‘one who was wrongly summoned’. They imprisoned me in an underground prison and conducted experiments on me.”
I pointed my chin at a familiar giant somewhere. The subtly similar five giants didn’t feel unfamiliar.
“I feel like I’ve seen that guy somewhere before.”
Suddenly, Matapju chuckled.
“It’s not just that you’ve seen him. He’s a presence you’ve absorbed.”
She pointed at the giants on the screen with her finger.
“The Manifestor of Nightmares, Por-Pena.”
Ah, someone said it was porn.
“The Stern Negotiator, Hamel-Lion.”
I don’t know who this guy is.
“The Beast of Andalp, Dolbi-Mos.”
I don’t know.
“The Pilgrim of Dororan, Magi-Ino.”
Who is that?
“The Subordinate of Tacop, Nouvelle-Pierre.”
“I don’t know, kid.”
He kept talking without realizing.
“You don’t really need to know. Well… except for Nouvelle-Pierre, everyone else has been subdued.”
Matapju’s fingertip pointed towards me.
“You absorbed the first two, and I absorbed the remaining two. If Joseph hadn’t betrayed me and not formed an alliance with Byunggeomgyeong, I would have had them all.”
…I have a hunch about this.
I captured the Shogun of Porn and Sorrow and became incredibly strong.
Then, I must have become stronger by defeating two people with abilities similar to theirs, the Matapju who “chirped” them away.
But still, I’m not at their level. No one can be stronger than a Super Escape Ninja.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on? Well, let’s keep watching for now.”
Matapju pressed the play button again.
The five giants disappeared, leaving the observer alone in a dark space.
“Oh, it’s a bit gloomy. Let’s skip ahead. It’s been like this for hundreds of years.”
The screen starts to spin, making a grinding noise.
– Seong-hoon! How far are you going?
The screen stops, and a woman’s voice is heard.
– Erica, wait. I sense something here. Someone is here.
After hearing footsteps a few times, a person reveals themselves.
A man who looks like a parasite orabi, resembling Orpheus in a strange way.
“A doppelganger?”
Is there another person in this world who looks like me? If two doppelgangers meet, one of them will definitely die.
Since I won’t die, I have no choice but to hope that guy isn’t a villain.
– Who are you?
– Th-that’s not a person… Seong-hoon, let’s just go. We need to get out of here quickly. The minions are on the move.
A blond-haired woman appears and grabs the man’s arm.
– Just wait a little longer. Can you speak?
The observer did not respond to the man’s words. They just briefly raised their gaze downwards.
– You were also forced to come here, right? Isn’t that so?
The man approached the observer slowly.
– It’s okay. I’ll save you.
After that, well, it was just a repetition of scenes that felt like “Surviving in the Cave” or “Escaping from the Underground Prison”.
“The man who saved me is named Kim Sung-hoon. He’s from the same Earth as you. At that time, he was the next candidate for the observer that the overseers were keeping an eye on.”
Since it was getting a bit boring, I turned my gaze away from the screen and saw Matapju’s face blabbering something.
She was looking at Kim Sung-hoon’s face on the screen with a wistful expression.
“The name of the woman next to him is Erika Irugal. As you can tell from her name, she is the former queen of the Irugal Kingdom.”
“I see.”
I don’t know who she is. I’ve never seen the face of a royal family member since I came to this world in the first place.
“Kim Sung-hoon saved me. Without asking for anything in return.”
What does it matter? It’s weirder to question the reason for saving someone.
Anyway, I kept listening. Well, I couldn’t leave, and I couldn’t fight, so I decided to wait for now.
“Kim Sung-hoon wanted to unite the people of this world and the natives who were in the same situation to stand against the overseers. I wanted to grant that wish. So I made him the one who leads them.”
The observer created a golden sword, shield, and armor, and injected red energy into Kim Sung-hoon’s body.
Ah, Kim Sung-hoon is an ancient hero. He is the original owner of the equipment that Orpheus wore.
Wearing flashy equipment, Kim Sung-hoon swung his sword and led the monsters and humans.
Matapju said he was from another world, but from what I could see, they were just monsters like orcs and bee-like monsters.
“He unleashed the power to defeat the overseers. At that time, I didn’t even know if I had such power.”
The martial arts master smiled faintly.
“Kim Sung-hoon, who successfully escaped, gathered his comrades. Those who possessed the courage and strength to confront the observers.”
Kim Sung-hoon, Erica, and two others followed beside the observer.
One of them was a machine…
“Tribot?!”
Why is our scrap robot here?
But it’s not just Tribot.
“A younger version of Delamion?!”
A black-skinned Dooly. It definitely looks like Delamion.
“Delamion, the protector of the Gogmagjok and the warrior of the dragon race. Let’s say you’ve traveled with a protector, but how do you know Delamion?”
“Well, I killed him.”
“…Delamion has been alive all this time? Well, I guess it’s possible for a dragon.”
Even when I said that I killed his comrade, the martial arts master remained indifferent.
It’s as if he doesn’t consider them comrades.
– You who are called a hero. My name is Delamion, the top warrior of the mighty dragon race.
The muscular young Delamion approached Kim Sung-hoon.
He looked ten times stronger than when I last saw him.
Has he weakened with age? Even though he’s a dragon, age can’t deceive a great monster.
– Do you think you can defeat the observers in a fight? To us, your kind is nothing but prey. If you want my recognition, prove it with strength!
– Sounds good to me!
Suddenly, Delamion charged at Kim Sung-hoon, who held a golden staff, and was beaten to a pulp.
– Hold on! S-Surrender! Surrender!
“Whatever.”
A sigh escaped at the pitiful sight.
Delamion, who was as clueless and obnoxious as when we first met, got his nose bloodied.
The proverb that says even a three-year-old child can act up to the age of eighty is true.
[Confirmed under the authority of the Guardian. Our Gogma tribe follows the warrior Kim Sung-hoon.]
Tribor, who watched Delamion being beaten to a pulp, asked Kim Sung-hoon for a handshake.
Quick-witted and sly, just like now.
“Kim Sung-hoon and I led the people from the other world and the natives and fought against the Watchers.”
Matapju quickly pressed the fast-forward button to skip the scenes.
It quickly transitioned to what seemed like a grand battle scene and remarkable exploits.
It felt like watching a compressed action movie.
“And we won.”
People cheered with joy, and in front of them stood the five comrades.
Kim Sung-hoon and Erika embraced each other and exchanged kisses.
And out of nowhere, Delamion started breakdancing.
As always, Tribor stood there nonchalantly.
“Most people wanted peace. They were tired of the long fight.”
People lifted Kim Sung-hoon and carried him, celebrating his victory. The golden armor didn’t last long, though.
Erika’s gaze at them was strangely unkind.
“But Erika Irugal wanted immortality.”
Erika’s eyes, once again directed at Kim Sung-hoon, were shaking violently.