Episode 151: It’s Just the Beginning (1)
“Take it, the warhead?!”
“I installed it. But now escape… … Pfft!”
Absolutely desperate. The awakeners who were operating on the Destroyer fell into an extreme crisis. Although they succeeded in installing the nuclear warhead under the Destroyer’s shell as per their mission, it became impossible to hold on any longer.
The majority of the local military forces that were protecting them had already been wiped out, and the enemy troops that continued to come in were too numerous.
No matter how strong the output can be, there is a limit to its total amount and sustainability. The awakened people, whose physical strength was starting to drop, had to quickly escape this place, but the escape helicopter could not even get here.
“I wasn’t participating in such a reckless operation.”
Some of them gritted their teeth, regretting their participation in this operation.
That meant that hope was gone. The word death was vivid in everyone’s mind at this moment.
[Do you think so too?]
In the meantime, a soft voice echoed in Lee Ji-yeon’s mind as she swung her shield and swatted away a tiger-sized monster that was attacking her.
She sighed at the constellation’s voice, which could not distinguish between the situation and the time, but shook her head for now.
“Because it was already decided that someone had to do it.”
[Then who will protect you?]
“Anyone.”
From her perspective, she had no idea why the Constellation was suddenly making such noises. Words welling up in my throat that I should lend more strength.
“aaah!”
Finally, as casualties began to occur, the awakened people who were holding on began to be pushed back.
The sky and the latitude of the Destroyer’s backboard they were standing on. It was all full of enemies.
Escape was already impossible. The best thing to do is for the nuclear bomb to explode and oxidize along with the monsters.
In fact, if the higher-ups think they are going to collapse like this, they will just explode the bomb.
‘I was prepared.’
Jiyeon Lee’s eyes wavered. He was prepared to die on the battlefield, but when that moment arrived, he couldn’t help but feel hesitation.
“More, a dungeon!?”
“Unbelievable. “The dungeon has been invaded!”
But at that moment. A powerful wave coming from afar passed by their bodies, and the attacking enemies all fell into a stunned state and began to fall one by one.
To be honest, it was a situation I couldn’t easily believe, but the scene unfolding before my eyes was absolutely true. The reaction of the enemies was the same when the dungeon core that maintains this dungeon space was destroyed without killing all the enemies.
“It now appears that the center of the dungeon has been devastated and the dungeon core has been destroyed. “Everyone retreat.”
This huge ship-like creature, the Destroyer, also stopped its action. While the shield disappeared, a helicopter rushed over and picked up the awakened people who were fighting for their lives and returned to the ground.
‘How on earth?’
Ji-yeon Lee, as well as everyone who survived the incident, had such questions.
Although all the attention of allies and enemies is focused on the battle centered on the Destroyer, the number of enemies remaining at the base is in the thousands.
It was a case that did not make common sense to break through it and destroy the core.
“They say the cause is unknown? They say they don’t even know. “All my attention was focused on you.”
“Does that make sense?”
“Dungeons are where ridiculous things happen all the time. You died and then came back to life. “Let’s think it went well.”
Changhyun approached Lee Ji-yeon, who had a hard time returning. He smiled weakly and said that this was a good thing.
Even Lee Ji-yeon, who knew his identity, couldn’t even suspect this time.
No matter how special his power is, it is impossible to destroy the core of a large dungeon ‘alone’.
“Now get enough rest. You died and came back to life. “You don’t have to think any more.”
“… … I know.”
The fear of death is still vivid today. Her face stiffened as her hands trembled slightly, and she lowered her head. Overcoming it has never been easy.
* * *
“We succeeded in destroying the core and exterminating all potentially dangerous entities. “There are 15 minutes left, and the time required is about 1 hour and 44 minutes.”
“It’s overwhelming and fast. also.”
The moment the core is destroyed. An intense shock wave spread out in all directions, and the invasive species that were not dead stopped their activities all at once and collapsed.
Of course, it would happen again soon, but for now, that was enough. Those who are in danger will be rescued.
It was such an overwhelming victory that it didn’t seem like Lucy’s Demon Lord’s army suffered much damage.
“I thought about countless possibilities and imagined all kinds of things. I never thought it was you. Nonsense.”
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It was at that time that Kim Seo-yoon, who had taken off her helmet, approached me and was scared when she saw me.
I’ve revealed my identity, but it doesn’t really matter. Anyway, Kim Seo-yoon is with Lucy and with us.
“What on earth is it?”
“It’s a bit strange that you joined the Demon King’s army and fought well until now, but are now asking about your identity.”
“Seo, are you really a demon god? What the devil was talking about?”
She looked back and forth between Lucy and me, her mouth wide open in surprise, and her eyes fluttering open. It seemed like the shock was bigger than I thought.
“What is the purpose? The Demon King is definitely… … .”
“So far, Lucy’s purpose has been a kind of process for my purpose. The result is this. Use Lucy’s power to fight enemies. My purpose has been one from the beginning. “To drive out the enemies that invaded our world.”
I told the story openly to Kim Seo-yoon, who asked about my purpose.
Her eyes widened when she heard that, as if she had expected a completely different answer.
“You may not know this, but Lucy originally started out as a small labyrinth. Continuous growth, infinite evolution. Through that, they coveted power and increased their numbers. “At first it was just a struggle to survive, but now it’s different.”
“Well, like that.”
“Helping Lucy means helping the world. Actually you just did it. I achieved feats that would have been impossible during my time as an ordinary awakened person. Attach the strong cores and hold the decisive battle weapon, Gungnir.”
Knowing that Kim Seo-yoon was still missing this place, I planned to comfort her to some extent. At least if you know that every single one of your actions helps protect the land where your family lives, you will feel a little more empowered.
“Please don’t feel like you are being taken advantage of. Rather, it may be more convenient to think of him using the power of the Demon King’s army to achieve his own goals. “You’re fighting for your family, right?”
If Lucy had said it, I probably wouldn’t have believed it.
However, Kim Seo-yoon, who was summoned to the dungeon and used the power she received from Lucy to kill the invasive species and conquer the dungeon, had no choice but to believe what I said.
* * *
“We have to go back now.”
“How long is the waiting time?”
“It will take at least three days to open the portal again.”
Immediately after finishing the conversation with Kim Seo-yoon, I felt that time was running out and looked back at Lucy.
It’s an imperfect portal with a time limit, but even that’s difficult. I kept in mind that it would take more than three days to reopen.
If another schedule came up, I was planning to make sure to reserve three days just in case.
“Thanks to you, I received great help.”
After thinking about what Lucy wanted, I started by complimenting her. As if it was indeed the correct answer, there was a slight change in expression on the face that normally showed no emotion at all.
“Even if I go back, you will always be by my side anyway.”
“That’s right.”
In fact, saying goodbye is not even a word that is used between us. The beautiful woman in front of me right now is just one of Lucy’s many appearances.
Even though it’s gone, Lucy continues to remain by my side.
[Time ran out, and all troops were forcibly repatriated.]
In fact, in an instant, like a mirage, all the strong soldiers who had filled the area disappeared.
But I can still hear Lucy’s voice through the earphones I’m wearing. The voice, which is based on the voice of Box D, a mobile phone artificial intelligence, is always the same.
“Do your job. I think I need to go back quickly. “That way you won’t be suspected.”
I quickly hid again and flew up into the sky. When I returned to the base in such a hurry, it was right after the awakened people managed to escape and return alive.
Of course, the base, which was a crucible of chaos, couldn’t find anything or notice anything strange when a single manager disappeared.
I mixed in with the crowd and greeted the awakened people who had returned in complete disrepair. Of course Jiyeon Lee was alive too.
“Was our sacrifice meaningful data?”
She said that when she returned with my support.
Is there any meaning to the fact that they threw themselves into the fight against the enemy this time?
“There is no meaningless data.”
Lucy has always said that all kinds of data can be used, and I said it right.
It’s okay to fail. If you analyze and expand it, you can find more possibilities.
“That’s good.”
She seemed to like the answer and smiled. And immediately he fell asleep as if he lost consciousness. Although my body was a superhuman, my mind was not, so I felt rapid fatigue and stretched out as soon as it was safe.
[However, according to my calculations, if four or more such ship-shaped giant monsters appear at the same time at the gate, the current technology and abilities of the people of Earth will not be able to block them.]
“Then do we need to think of another way?”
Although we managed to overcome the crisis, not all problems disappeared.
We are put to the test once again as we have to keep up with our ever-evolving enemies. If you don’t catch up, the price is annihilation.
[And new news has been received from the continent. There is news that the coalition of the Allied Forces is slowly shaking in the recent sluggish war.]
Moreover, in the midst of all this complexity, Lucy told me that she had some new news.
Originally, it had nothing to do with the affairs of this world, but it became strangely uncomfortable after it was revealed that some of those who were hostile to Lucy were allies of an alliance that had to fight together here.
“If the union is shaken, we won’t be able to defeat the denomination, right?”
[The reports are just speculations, but it seems that each ruler is watching to keep the war in this state and seize whatever is left.]
Lucy showed interest in this. It seemed even more so because they had poured all their efforts into Ravizda, which was infested with corrupted world trees and infected entities, so they were in a position of observation rather than suppressing it with force.
“If there’s a stalemate, it’s good for you.”
[That’s right. However, if the demon world powers, who are currently focusing on the war on the continent, find some time to spare, they may turn their direction to regaining the lost northern territory.]
Lucy is already deeply intertwined with the affairs of the other world. It meant that if something major happened, Lucy couldn’t avoid it.
“It’s a mess there too.”
I laughed out loud. Somehow, there is no place that maintains peace.