I Entered a Gacha Game That Had Been Abandoned for 10 Years chapter 83

83 – The… End? (2)

Until Nereid River, who had only rotted inside him for the past ten years, returned as a 4-star blacksmith hero, Kim Hyun-woo was content.

No, he had felt bad from the start.

From Kim Hyun-woo’s perspective, River’s appearance was nothing short of a 4-star hero blacksmith falling from the sky into a barren land where there was nothing.

“So it was definitely a good thing…”

Kim Hyun-woo glanced at Elena, who was standing in front of the office, while discreetly gauging her reaction.

She had a smile on her lips, but her eyes didn’t smile. She didn’t seem visibly upset, but she didn’t look very happy either.

“Ahem, did something happen today that made you feel bad?”

Kim Hyun-woo asked cautiously.

“No, not really,” Elena replied with a bright smile to Kim Hyunwoo’s question.

Despite Hyunwoo’s inquiry, Elena cleanly denied his words and continued, “Oh, by the way, have you known that petite dwarf who visited this time from before?”

“Dwarf? Ah, are you talking about River?”

“Yes, that petite dwarf.”

Hyunwoo, who was oddly attentive to Elena’s focused description, chuckled strangely but soon affirmed, “Yes, that’s right. She was a blacksmith who worked in the Larthania territory ten years ago.”

“hehehehe… Is that so?”

“Yes. But seeing that you know about her, have you met?”

“Oh, no, not really. Just, on the way to report to the office, I overheard a bit of the conversation. They say they comfortably spoke informally to each other. I guess they shared quite a lot of stories even ten years ago.”

“Well, maybe because they were friends who shared a lot of stories even back then.”

Without explicitly mentioning any good memories, Kim Hyunwoo’s words were void of additional remarks. Elena, with a gaze that seemed slightly colder than before, sighed lightly and said, “My lord, you should be careful with dwarves.”

“What?”

“As you know, dwarves are stubborn and don’t obey orders easily. If by any chance they enter the territory, it will require careful management in various ways.”

“Um…”

While Elena’s words were correct in theory, the fact was that dwarves not listening properly often occurred when heroes were deployed for tasks other than the blacksmith’s duties.

In other words, it was a statement that was only about half true.

Even as Kim Hyunwoo hesitated about whether to talk about it, Elena, with an oddly chilled expression, continued her words.

A dwarf aversion from Elena, whose origins were completely unknown.

“First, I understand. Well, since she is the guildmaster of the Blacksmiths’ Guild, she can’t be affiliated with the Larthania Territory, but you get the idea.”

Kim Hyunwoo quickly affirmed her words.

“Oh, is that so?”

Whether Kim Hyunwoo’s words were accepted or not, there was a strangely eased atmosphere. Elena, after a moment of hesitation, continued the conversation.

“Oh, and Lord.”

“Yes?”

“Now, can we perhaps lower our voices a bit?”

“Voices?”

Kim Hyunwoo, looking puzzled as if wondering why now, but Elena continued.

“If we lower our voices, wouldn’t it be more comfortable for both of us to talk?”

“Well, that might be true. But do we really need to do it now?”

“Lord, do you dislike lowering your voice when talking to me?”

Looking at Elena with a suddenly stiff expression, Kim Hyunwoo replied.

“Well… no, it’s not that… Well, if you want to do that, it’s fine.”

“Then, would you call me Elena first?”

Responding promptly to Kim Hyunwoo’s words.

“…Elena?”

Seeing her like that, Kim Hyunwoo felt a bit awkward, but as they continued talking, she now wore a small smile that didn’t seem fake.

“Yes. I’ll see you again when we meet tomorrow.”

Seeming very pleased, she left the Lord’s Castle with those words.

“…?”

Kim Hyun-woo had a slightly strange expression.

It was understandable.

“…Didn’t I originally call her Elena? And she never said anything about it.”

Because Kim Hyun-woo’s term of address for her hasn’t changed, not then and not now.

That’s why Kim Hyun-woo, who couldn’t understand why she was feeling so good, looked at the door for a while.

“…Well, since it seems like the mood has lightened, I guess it’s fine.”

Kim Hyun-woo shrugged his shoulders.

####

A few days later.

In the office of Yeongjuseong, which overlooked numerous camps, Duke Randaron, who had been silently observing the situation, turned his gaze and spoke to the one with the hood turned back.

“It’s almost been a month as promised.”

“I know.”

The one wearing the hood, who had a voice that sounded like scratching metal, stood up and looked down at the camps with Randaron, speaking.

“Don’t worry, Duke Randaron. As I mentioned before, the great plan will begin soon. No, to be precise, it is already underway in real-time.”

“Underway? I don’t recall hearing about that.”

Even though Randaron, who had a slightly uncomfortable expression, showed his expression, the one speaking didn’t lose his relaxed demeanor.

“It was unnecessary to mention. After all, what is happening now is only for the sake of preparations.”

“Preparations?”

“Because even in our demonic realm, the demons must come over.”

“…If you’re talking about the demons coming over, aren’t they already happening around us?”

“Just mentioning that is not enough.”

The Duke of Landon, flipping his hood, seemed to ponder for a moment and then spoke, looking at the man.

“Surely, you’re not thinking of something else?”

“Of course not. Our demons are better at keeping promises than the Celestials. And above all, we made a ‘contract’, didn’t we?”

“That’s true, but…”

“In that case, don’t worry. To us demons, a contract is like a knight’s honor to humans. As long as the other party doesn’t abandon it first, we won’t abandon it either.”

He looked at the Duke of Landon and chuckled softly as he spoke.

“In a few days, my fellow demons will start appearing on the outskirts. Then, raise your soldiers and march accordingly. If we achieve what we want, they will help us. That’s the contract.”

As the man spoke, the Duke of Landon nodded his head and asked a question.

“I understand the plan well enough, but how much preparation have you made externally?”

“Curious, aren’t you?”

“I know, but even if the demons appear, it won’t cause much chaos if we’ve only prepared within the Norba Kingdom.”

“Don’t worry. We have prepared over 50 summoning circles just on the outskirts alone.”

“…What? Over 50?”

“That’s right.”

“…When on earth did you prepare so many summoning circles-“

As Duke of Landon murmured in disbelief, he soon closed his mouth.

He didn’t expect the man in front of him to answer that question, even if he were to ask right now.

“There’s no need to ask, after all.”

“I see you know well. Anyway, it’s time to move soon to finish all the preparations.”

As the duke spoke, the man let out a sly laugh and started walking after his words.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s time for the final check.”

In response to his words, the man immediately disappeared with a momentary burst of dark magic.

And…

…

While the man was looking at the spot where the man disappeared, Duke Randalon silently turned his head to look at the camp.

The hooded man was moving to confirm the summoning circles set up in various places in the outskirts, or more precisely, in the southern part of the continent.

Duke Randalon continued to show his eagerness to proceed with the plan quickly, but the truth was that the man felt the same way.

He had been preparing for this grand plan alone for seven years, and thanks to this plan, the power and resources he had consumed were unimaginable.

Thanks to that, the man didn’t show it, but he was in a much more agitated state than usual.

He could start the work he had prepared for seven years in just a few more days, and once the prepared plan succeeded, they would have a real chance to seize the ‘Outland’.

So, as he laughed, the man moved to the place where the summoning circles were prepared.

…

Soon, he couldn’t help but stiffen his face with doubt.

The reason was that the village of Hwajeonmin, where the summoning circles were being prepared, had turned into ruins.

…

Now, as he looked at the village of Hwajeonmin, which had turned into ashes, the man let out a small sigh but immediately prepared to move to another place.

At the point where he had prepared 50 summoning circles, it was possible for one or two of them to be destroyed.

However, the next village too.

“…??”

And even in the next village.

“????”

Even the territory the man had quietly acquired.

“What is this?”

The relaxed voice vanished, replaced by a voice unknowingly filled with frustration and urgency.

And at that moment.

In the southeastern part of the continent, where the man had created a summoning array and a village of heretics gathered, engaged in clandestine activities, a man witnessed every village he had been monitoring turning into ruins.

“I will kill you!”

Kwaaang!

“It belongs to me!!!”

Kwaaang!!!

– By the hands of a skilled individual and a half-beast tribe, the village was turning into rubble.