81 – Episode 81. [Side Story] A World Without Runaway Ninjas (Short Story, IF)
At the top of a cliff, where the side seemed to be deeply carved as if hit by a wide-ranging destructive magic.
Three shadows were looking at the distant Red Whale Matap through a Gogmagok telescope.
Disguised in a cloak of invisibility, they were 568, Diana, and the protector of the Gogmagok tribe.
“Knight, leave it to us here. You need to leave now.”
568 recalled Lilia’s final words.
Now, the non-existent Lilia and the white dolphin fought until their last moments without losing hope.
They were the ones who revealed this place and bought time for the three of them to arrive.
“…”
How many people had to be sacrificed to come this far?
To calm his restless mind, 568 grasped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
568, the last living member of the royal family of Irugal, was a woman who had abandoned her real name.
Her family was killed by the conspiracy of the Red Whale Matop, who sought to rule over the kingdom of Irugal from the shadows.
The only survivor, she changed her hair color with the help of a magician she had a close relationship with her mother and lived quietly in the countryside.
Until she was kidnapped and lost the magician who was like her second mother in the assassins’ organization called Sagal’s Tail.
She learned the art of concealment, assassination techniques, and how to leave no trace from those who brought the kidnapped children to the coal mines and trained them to become skilled assassins.
Her predecessor, 567, couldn’t bear the brutal training and died a long time ago.
385, the strongest among the assassination instructors, said that if she survived, she could be accepted as a member of the organization.
Her eyes, which moved like a predator, didn’t show any emotions, but she instinctively understood.
If she became a member of Sagal’s Tail as a completed assassin, she had to kill people until she died.
They were so thorough that they wouldn’t tolerate betrayal, retirement, or escape.
To avoid being tied to Sagal’s Tail for life without avenging her family, she had to defeat them.
But it was impossible to defeat several assassins of the same caliber alone.
She had no choice but to rely on the help of the candidates who had trained with her. They were strong-willed individuals who showed a strong desire to escape from Sagal’s Tail and demonstrated exceptional potential.
555, who wanted to live an ordinary life, created a group centered around 561 and 562, who are in love with each other, and 547, who is the second-ranked candidate. 568, who was the first-ranked candidate, became the leader.
They honed their skills for the rebellion and even killed the “sacrifice” during the initiation ceremony to avoid suspicion.
“It may take some time, but we will succeed.”
They officially became members of the organization and spent three years working as assassins, gathering information on the core executives of the Sagal’s Tail.
And on the day when the organization’s executives gathered in one place, they ambushed them together with their classmates who had been with them all this time.
132, a bald, muscular executive who was the third strongest, was killed by 561 and 562.
The second strongest, the leader of Sagal’s Tail, was killed by 555 and 547.
385, the next candidate for leader and the strongest, was killed by 568 after a fierce battle for survival.
With the core of Sagal’s Tail lost, they scattered, and 568 and his classmates were able to gain their freedom.
568 had become much stronger.
Even without the element of surprise, he was strong enough to kill a well-trained knight.
However, at that level, he couldn’t kill the Matangju of the Belladgard and the Red Whale without exposing his true identity.
He needed to become stronger. And in a way that wouldn’t expose his true identity.
568 separated from his classmates and went to Martolan, ruled by the wise lord.
There, he joined the adventurer’s guild.
The Martolan branch, which had been attacked by the dragon tribe three years ago, was still recovering from the damage and wanted the birth of a strong adventurer.
He completed various quests there and became a silver-ranked adventurer.
“Sister.”
Someone tapped 568’s shoulder, who was lost in thought.
“What are you thinking about?”
The name of the young girl with empty eyes was Diana.
“Just. Suddenly, I remembered something from the past.”
Diana, who was the cause of the raid incident three years ago, was a dragonkin.
Not just any dragonkin, but the legendary golden dragon said to be born once every thousand years.
Her sister, Lamina, who hoped that Diana would not grow up to be a savage creature like the dragonkin, secretly put a quest into the adventurer guild to take her sister out of Maple Leaf Village, the territory of the dragonkin.
Adventurers Bonita, Saiten, Gina, Rombin, and Olpen, who received the quest, headed to the adventurer guild with Diana before sunrise, and at the Martolan branch, they faced the dragonkin who chased them as soon as the sun rose.
However, the dragonkin with dark skin was too strong, and all the adventurers who received the quest and the people in the branch lost their lives.
If they hadn’t been completely killed by the dragonkin, the damage would have been even worse if Adventurer Guild Leader William XVI and the gold-grade adventurers who appeared like the wind in response to Bonita’s emergency message had not arrived.
Afterwards, Diana hid her identity (or rather, everyone who knew her identity died) and lived as a low-level adventurer, collecting herbs.
If 568 hadn’t approached Diana, who was living alone in a harsh world at a young age, she would have lived like that for the rest of her life.
“Sister, actually…”
568 took care of Diana like a real sister, and she opened her heart and revealed all the truth.
The two of them started a two-person party and took on adventurer jobs, heading to Goldon, a crumbling territory, to solve a quest about interpreting strange objects.
Goldon, where Lady Joanna was lost in a raid and the deputy lordship was taken over by the Seven Swords Guild, was the place where Agatha Gembulton, one of the Seven Swords, took charge as the acting lord.
Agatha Gembulton, the sword of the gem with strange abilities, defeated Delbanas, the leader of the raid, and reclaimed Goldon, which had been in the hands of the raid for several years.
Agatha, who calmed down the people of the territory who were being looted, examined the mansion of the lord occupied by Delbanas and discovered motionless metal humans, green slime, and a gigantic lump of metal.
The reason 568 came here was that Agatha, who did not trust the nobles, hired knowledgeable adventurers to obtain information about these strange objects.
As 568 touched the metal human, she pressed a strange button and woke him up.
The metal human, who said he didn’t know who he was, had information about the strange objects and ancient times, and he revealed that information to Agatha and 568.
The descendant of an ancient warrior, 568, could no longer hide. He had a feeling that he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer, so he revealed his true identity to Agatha and asked for her help.
“Someone needs to stop the Red Whale Matap.”
“You’re right,” replied the righteous Agatha.
After accepting the request, Agatha made 568 a member of the Hongyeomryong Knights and bestowed upon him the title of knight. She didn’t forget to make Diana the seed of 568.
Agatha disposed of all the materials left by Delbanas and handed over the lordship of Galdon to a suitable noble. She, along with 568, Diana, and the metal humanoid, headed towards the Sangnoksoo Village. They killed Queen Birex, who was descending from the mountains with a massive army of monsters.
Agatha and 568, who formed a strong bond during the fierce battle, became close friends and mentor and student.
It was the happiest time in 568’s life.
“…”
568 held his sword tightly once again.
But that happiness didn’t last long.
While planning to stop the Hongyeomryong Knights and the Matap, James, the master of the Sword of Truth, and the royal assassin, Beldergard, appeared with the members of the Sangmoocho. They were there to kill 568.
They traced and killed all of 568’s motives, and finally came to her. James, who killed her family ruthlessly, and Beldergard, who had come to her last.
Although she succeeded in killing the two powerful individuals who were beyond her league, the damage was immense.
“…I’m sorry, Commander.”
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The members of the Hongyeomryong Knights fought against numerous members of the Sangmoocho and made their last stand.
“I think there’s a reason why you survived that massacre. It’s the sword that takes souls. Take it. It’s something you need more than me now.”
Agatha, who defeated the Sword of Truth and Beldergard with the help of 568 and Diana, died from excessive bleeding.
It was because of the destructive power of the magic weapon fired by the Sword of Truth.
“Heeheeheehee…”
The crimson glow of the spirit horse, who had been by Agatha’s side until the moment of her death, disappeared along with the light, and her soul devourer, the Reaper of Love and Hate, now possessed 568.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. If only I could have transformed from the beginning…!”
“The child of the Dragonkin, it is not your fault.”
Awakened by the terror of death and her own powerless anger, Diana, who had torn apart Beldegard’s neck, let out a scream in the form of a golden dragon, and the metallic being who had survived as an immortal consoled her.
What happened after that was even more horrifying.
Diana, along with the metallic being (a guardian of the Gogmagog Tribe) who regained her memories, defeated the Fallen Sword Sect together. She was the older sister of 568.
She had been cruelly transformed into a terrifying chimera by the Matap and was in a brainwashed state.
“My sister, don’t let the monsters ruin the world.”
In her final moment of clarity, her sister said those words, and 568 nodded.
Wearing the ancient warrior’s armor, helmet, and shield that her sister had worn, 568 dedicated herself to training in order to master them perfectly, while joining forces with the White Dolphin, an organization hostile to the Matap.
Believing that she would be able to defeat the Matap Chief once she became skilled enough to handle them proficiently.
But time did not wait for her.
“The observers are coming. Over there.”
The Gogmagog Tribe guardian, who had been watching the Matap through a telescope, reached out and pointed in a direction.
568, who had been fiddling with the soul devourer’s scabbard, picked up the telescope.
The grotesque monsters were flying towards the Red Whale Matap, leaving behind dark traces.
They were all observers.
“Huhuhuhuhu! Huhuhuhuha!”
A sinister laughter resounded loudly.
“That guy.”
Diana trembled lightly.
As the dark clouds cleared, a massive being revealed itself, fluttering a pair of bat-like wings.
It was a gigantic crimson dragon, emanating a sinister aura.
“…Jade Hall.”
The harbinger of the apocalypse, the wings of nightmares, the fallen one.
He was originally known as Chilgeom Gyeong, a member of the Swordsmanship Union and regarded as the strongest.
As the leader of the Order Maintenance Army, he was someone everyone in the kingdom knew.
– Martopju Monica Silverin!
Jade’s booming voice, now transformed into a gigantic monster, echoed to the edge of the cliff.
Having merged with one of the Great Five Spirits, he killed the other six Chilgeom Gyeong and declared war on the kingdom.
– The hero who will save this world, Jade-Lion, speaks! Listen, Martopju!
– O savage existence! Pay attention!
– Raise your heads!
Jade and the three other Chilgeom Gyeong who flew with him unleashed their attacks on the Martop’s combatants.
All of them were in a state where their bodies were taken away and controlled by the Observers.
When the kingdom faced the threat of destruction, Martopju attacked the Observers with the breath of a whale, but it was already too late, as their numbers had become overwhelming.
It wasn’t like Martopju had left it alone until the situation became like this.
One could say that the civil war caused by Joseph Mangrove, the second in command of Martop, was inevitable during this difficult time.
Joseph, who succeeded in creating artificial watchers, led his loyal employees and monster-like creatures disguised as children to launch a surprise attack on Matapju.
Although he was eventually defeated and killed by Matapju’s transcendent power, it was not that the artificial watchers did not inflict any damage on Matapju.
According to the words of the double agent who belonged to the White Dolphin and was an employee of Matap, Matapju did not even reveal its presence in the conference room in its ethereal state after that day.
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Jade attacked the kingdom and now stands in this position.
Even though the watcher, Chilgeomgyeong, who killed all the Matap warriors, and thousands of other watchers unleashed their attacks, Matap did not flinch.
It must be because the magical barrier installed in Matap is so strong.
– Blind ones! A new world! A new order! I will show you!
Jade, who had been watching, spewed out crimson flames.
Whoosh-!
The barrier disappeared, and Matap rose.
– Huhahahahaha! This overwhelming power! This omnipotence! This is it!!!
Hundreds of laughter erupted from Jade’s body, intoxicated by the power.
Having merged with over a hundred watchers, he had reached a level where he could no longer be called a single existence.
[How dare a lowly pig…!]
An angry voice filled with rage flowed from the shattered red whale Matap.
Roar!
Something made of light rose from the ground next to Matap.
A giant figure in a white armor holding a red scythe.
It was Monica Soverin, the owner of Matapju.
[You are nothing!
Ziiiiing-!
A destructive beam erupted from the scythe, sweeping away the watchers in front of the mausoleum in one strike.
– Matapju!
Jade, flapping his wings, rushed towards Matapju, avoiding the beam.
Thump!
Transformed into the Black Flame Dragon, Jade clashed his scythe with Matapju’s. Matapju blocked his claws with his remaining hand.
It was truly a battle of gods.
“…”
568 checked his equipment once again.
The ancient warrior’s armor and helmet that had turned his sister, who was just an ordinary knight, into a master of the Seven Sword Art.
The ancient warrior’s shield with incredible durability.
The Soul Devourer, a magical sword that had the ability to absorb souls.
It was said that these were items created by the Gogmagjok to restrain other transcendent beings like Matapju.
The only item capable of dealing effective damage to Matapju.
He had used them all thousands of times and believed he had mastered them completely.
He raised his binoculars again to witness the mythical battle.
The distant sound of destruction was gradually subsiding.
– This is… ridiculous!
Slash!
Jade’s head was severed by Matapju’s scythe.
The body of the Black Flame Dragon turns into ashes and disappears.
The victor in the battle of the gods was Martabju.
With the light that makes up her body dimmed, she knelt down and leaned on her staff.
[This is the result of forcibly descending into the material realm. This seems to be the last chance.]
Upon hearing the words of the Gogmag tribe guardian, 568 silently nodded and looked at Diana.
“Kkuuh…!”
Diana, who was tearing at her own head, transformed into a golden dragon with a pair of wings.
Compared to the two monsters fighting, she was small in size, but she was seven times bigger than an average adult.
568, who was riding on her back, lifted the soul devourer.
“Let’s go.”
Diana fluttered her wings and flew up, rushing towards Martabju, who seemed to be exhausted and unaware of her surroundings.
“Sister, Agatha. I wish you luck.”
568’s blue hair fluttered in the wind.
[Kim Seong-hoon…?]
Martabju lifted her head.
Waaah-Shooooo-iiiiii!
With the sound of the soul devourer roaring, the final battle for the fate of the world began.