Chapter 342
CHAPTER 342
SIDE STORY 15
At an assembly point close enough to reach Mezpol within a single day, the Five-Nation Allied Forces had gathered.
These were no riffraff.
The knights were all at least Experts, the mages were fifth-circle or higher, and even the regular soldiers were all hardened veterans with battlefield experience.
The total number of troops gathered this way was around 300,000.
That alone outnumbered Mezpol’s entire population.
Because of that, the commanders of each nation shared the same frustration.
What tactics? What strategy?
If they just marched the army straight in, the enemy would flee in panic.
But since Duke Aurelion—appointed as supreme commander of the allied forces—had ordered a tactical conference, they had no choice but to comply.
“Your Grace, I don’t know what it is you’re worried about, but dragging things out like this isn’t ideal. It could hurt troop morale.”
The commanders gathered in the temporary command tent cautiously voiced their opinions.
“If you’re concerned about the giant golem, we can simply divide the army. Assign a separate force to deal with the dimensional traveler—”
“Please make a decision soon. It’s already been two months since Mezpol’s labyrinth resources were cut off. We can’t wait any longer.”
Yet Duke Aurelion remained silent.
The commanders’ arguments were reasonable.
There was nothing strange about feeling confident of victory.
And yet, unease still lingered in his heart.
In truth, the duke wasn’t worrying without reason.
He had his own grounds.
Dimensional travelers were, by nature, impossible to measure.
They weren’t beings of this world, so there was no way to know what abilities they possessed.
If this one was merely an average traveler, that would be fine—but if he was anything like the three from the past, it would be a nightmare.
“According to information leaked from the Grand Temple, this dimensional traveler’s ability is said to be summoning. If that’s the case, the giant golem is likely one of his summons.”
Summoning…
The duke’s gaze deepened.
If the giant golem truly was a summoned creature?
Then it could simply be ignored.
Once the summoner died, the summons would naturally disappear.
Good.
Decision made.
When thoughts become tangled, the best solution is the simplest one.
Kill the dimensional traveler.
What remained?
Action.
“Very well. Order the full advance.”
“Oh!”
“A wise decision, Your Grace.”
“We’ll prepare immediately.”
“By tomorrow morning, we’ll be on the Mezpol grasslands—”
At that moment—
Whiiirl!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Sounds came from outside the tent.
“Kekekekekek!”
A wicked, eerie laugh.
The commanders and aides rushed outside.
“…Huh?”
“W-what?”
“What is this?”
They saw it at the same time.
Soldiers were collapsing one after another.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Those who had been eating in small groups—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Officers training individually—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Mages below the fifth circle, in the middle of research—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Everyone had fallen, sprawled on the ground.
From the sound of snoring, they seemed to be asleep.
“What… is going on?”
“T-there…!”
One commander pointed at the sky.
When they looked—
“…A succubus.”
“A d-dream demon?”
“How is that possible?”
Dark wings, a long tail, massive goat-like horns on her forehead, and clothing so revealing it was hard to know where to look.
Yes.
A succubus—one of the demon races.
“Why is that here?”
“Is that really a dream demon?”
“Y-yes… seems so.”
Fine.
Let’s say it’s a dream demon.
But putting that many soldiers to sleep all at once?
Even now, soldiers kept collapsing.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
At this rate, all 300,000 troops would be lost in dreams.
No matter how much dream demons interfered with human dreams, even a Succubus Queen shouldn’t be capable of this.
Which meant only one thing.
“…A Demon King–class dream demon.”
“A… a Demon King?”
“My god! A Demon King’s descent?!”
“Could that demon be him?”
“Who?”
“The dimensional traveler behind the Mezpol incident.”
“A Demon King… as a dimensional traveler?”
“Hah! That’s absurd—”
But that wasn’t all.
WEEEEEEEEENG!
A massive swarm of pitch-black mosquitoes swept through the encampment.
“And what is that now?”
They weren’t just flying around.
Drrr! Ddak! Drrrdak!
Scrrk! Scrrk! Scrrk!
Wherever the swarm passed, the knights’ plate armor vanished.
Swords and spears were being eaten away as well.
In moments, knights and soldiers were left completely stripped.
“Kyaaak! Master, you pervert!!!”
This was madness.
It felt like their minds were breaking.
An incomprehensible situation.
Then suddenly—
“KUUUOOOOOOO!!!”
A chilling beast’s roar echoed through the sky.
A howl that clawed directly at humanity’s primal fear.
No one spoke this time.
They could only stare upward, mouths agape.
Flap. Flap.
Hovering in midair, looking down upon the land with glowing yellow eyes—
A dragon.
Judging by its size and form, it far surpassed an adult dragon.
Someone barely managed to speak.
“…An Ancient Dragon.”
A being powerful enough to single-handedly annihilate an entire kingdom.
A Demon King and an Ancient Dragon had appeared at the same time.
And they seemed to be on the same side.
Silence fell over the world.
Only the sounds of collapsing soldiers and the mosquitoes gnawing at metal remained.
The fact that the commanders were Sword Masters and archmages of the eighth circle or higher was the only reason they could retain any composure at all.
“W-why would a dragon and a Demon King…?”
“Could both of them be dimensional travelers?”
“They might both be summons.”
“Hah! Nonsense!”
“But earlier, the Demon King called someone ‘Master’—”
“Regardless, are we just going to stand here?”
“Your Grace! Give the order!”
At that moment—
Flutter, flutter.
The succubus—Succubus Queen—slowly descended before the commanders.
The silent Duke Aurelion slowly reached for the hilt of his sword.
If it came to this—
‘I’ll settle it here, to the death.’
Even if he died, it was better than retreating in disgrace.
There was still a chance.
The Aura Blade of a Grand Master—
There was nothing in this world it could not cut.
And another authority of the Grand Master:
The power to dominate time and space.
Within the reach of his blade, he was absolutely invincible.
‘Do not waver. Cut.’
No one could evade it.
Not even a god.
The Demon King was alone.
What made demon invasions terrifying were the vast demon armies—not the Demon King himself.
If he killed the Demon King, the soldiers would awaken.
Then they could reorganize and face the dragon.
An Ancient Dragon was still a living being.
If cut, it would bleed.
‘With the will of a Grand Master.’
Terrifying aura surged around Aurelion’s entire body.
It had to end in a single strike.
Wooooong!
Colossal energy poured into the blade.
At the same time—
Ssssssss…
Time slowed to a crawl.
Everyone in sight moved sluggishly, unbearably slowly.
Even the Succubus Queen, even the Demon King.
Only Aurelion was free.
Because within his domain, he ruled time and space.
He gripped the sword tightly and attempted a draw-cut—
Thud.
“…Huh?”
His arm didn’t move.
The blade remained half-drawn.
An invisible force was pinning down his arm and hand.
“Why—?”
That was when it happened.
Somehow, a white-haired, white-robed old man was strolling casually in front of him.
“A Grand Master, huh. It is the ultimate realm a human can reach.”
Aurelion couldn’t move.
A subtle, formless force was strangling his heart and brain, ready to crush them at any moment.
‘Just who… is that old man…?’
Someone unaffected by a Grand Master’s domination of time and space?
“I once stood where you stand now. After attaining enlightenment, reaching the Mysterious Realm, wielding the Mind Sword freely—there was nothing in the world to fear.”
Aurelion desperately tried to move.
“That was before I met the Sword Immortal. Only then did I realize how utterly insignificant I was.”
But the old man wasn’t alone.
From behind—
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just let him go? If he got cut by that Grand Master aura blade and split the dream demon in half, we’d get a free Greater Demon heart. Feed that to Chunbok and he’d become a Great Heavenly Demon.”
It was Diamat, pouting.
“Do you really think I’d die to a mere human?”
“Hah! A shabby dream demon not even chosen by the Master, talking big.”
Kosak’s sharp jab.
“Your presence is about on par with Jephet now. You were disqualified from the concubine race ages ago. You’re ranked lower than even Kkya-reuk Mannyeon now.”
“…You bastard.”
After finishing the barrage of facts—
“Anyway, Mad Old Man.”
“What?”
“That guy is Duke Aurelion.”
“So?”
“He’s said to be the strongest human in Kalzenia. A Grand Master.”
“Hm.”
“If we leave him alive, he might become trouble later.”
“….”
“No slipping of hands!!!”
It was Juhyeok.
WEEEEENG!
He appeared together with a swarm of minor fallen angels.
“I knew this would happen. The moment you look away, hands start slipping, huh?”
The Mad Demon hesitated for a moment.
Kosak was right.
You couldn’t leave behind future trouble.
Better to cut it down before it turned into a lingering worry.
Still, just in case, he glanced around once.
“H-huh! W-what’s this? A headache?”
He made a big show of it.
“W-woah, I’m dizzy.”
Ziiing!
He injected force into the edge of his hand.
“Oh dear! My hand s-slipped—”
Slip.
Truly slipping, the Mad Demon’s hand blade slid toward Aurelion’s Adam’s apple.
Aurelion, still frozen stiff, couldn’t move.
At that very moment—
Spot!
“No hand-slipping allowed!!!”
It was Juhyeok.
WEEEEENG!
He appeared together with a swarm of minor fallen angels.
“I knew this would happen. Huh? The moment you blink, someone’s hand slips, right?”
Following behind him, the other veteran summoned ones appeared as well.
“Uh… h-huh? S-summoner, when did you—?”
The Mad Demon awkwardly froze mid-motion.
“Wow, did you oil your hands with sesame oil? They’re really slippery.”
The Mad Demon scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and made excuses.
“I wasn’t going to do it, but, uh—”
Kosak quickly cut in.
“I was against it. Valuing human life is basic decency, ain’t it? I grabbed the old man’s pant leg, telling him not to kill, that we should spare him—but then the Mad Old Man’s eyes turned red and—”
Really?
“N-no, that’s—”
“Ha! Mad Old Man, don’t make excuses. This is the time to admit your crime like a real man.”
“You damn—”
Diamat also hurried to snitch.
“I was far away, you know. I just put them to sleep, exactly like Master ordered.”
Twisting her body slightly, she added,
“But then that assassin and the Mad Old Man exchanged looks and started talking about ‘future trouble’ and all that—”
“When did I ever do that? Got proof?”
“I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”
“Seeing doesn’t make it truth, does it?”
“I’ve lived a wasted life. A world full of betrayal and false accusations.”
As if the other summoned would stay quiet?
“Well done. How can those who fail to uphold their lord’s principles call themselves retainers?”
“Sinful souls, the lot of them.”
“No wonder he failed at +3.”
“Come to think of it, the Mad Old Man didn’t even try enhancing.”
“He was probably scared he’d get stuck at +2 just like the others.”
“As a warrior, I find them pathetic. In contrast, the warrior is mercy incarnate.”
“Says the guy who nails people to the ground after killing them.”
Well, in any case, no one died.
“Alright, alright. Let’s negotiate. Negotiate.”
The commanders of the Five-Nation Allied Forces, who had been listening to this absurd exchange with blank expressions, couldn’t tell whether this was a dream or reality anymore.
A Demon King–class dream demon, an Ancient Dragon, an old man and a young man who surpassed Grand Masters, a massive barbarian warrior, a holy knight with angelic wings, a mage harboring immeasurable magic…
Every single one of them was a calamity-class existence.
Any one of them appearing on the continent could wipe out several kingdoms.
And yet, the most shocking thing of all—
All of them were fawning and groveling before a single human.
‘…So that man is the dimensional traveler.’
It was said he possessed summoning abilities, so if they could somehow kill just that traveler—
But it was impossible.
Even while joking around, they protected the traveler with absolute vigilance.
Before one could even draw a sword—no, the moment such a thought crossed their mind—they’d be reduced to dust.
Meanwhile, Duke Aurelion’s entire body had gone rigid.
It wasn’t because of external danger.
The trauma carved deep into his mind had resurfaced.
That memory—from long ago.
The time he’d accidentally crossed paths with the three-man party of travelers.
The faint aura now emanating from the young man before him—mysterious, harmonious, overwhelmingly calm.
Even the smell was the same.
Like the scent of fruit.
The exact same scent he’d sensed from the legendary trio of Mezpol dimensional travelers.
That was why the black-haired youth terrified him the most.
So much that he couldn’t even meet his gaze.
“Allied commanders, relax. Take it easy, alright? I came here for peaceful negotiations. Look—no one died, right?”
At Juhyeok’s gentle tone, the commanders exchanged uneasy glances, standing stiffly.
“As you all know, the reason I came here is…”
Juhyeok raised his smartwatch to his mouth.
“Wiz.”
—Yes, Master.
“Display the Rabong Trading Company headquarters in Mezpol. Live feed.”
—Understood.
Slide! Tzpit!
As if by magic, a three-dimensional hologram appeared on-site.
The towering headquarters building.
Massive giants standing like pillars around it.
And beastfolk rolling around—thud! spin!—training.
“Aren’t they adorable? Of course they’re kind. But there were people who exploited that kindness.”
Juhyeok continued calmly.
“They imprisoned our workers, forced them into labor, and didn’t even pay wages.”
“So at first, I was going to kill everyone who bullied the beastfolk workers…”
The commanders flinched.
“But I decided to endure it. Just once.”
Meaning: there wouldn’t be a second time.
“Oh, right! You’re probably wondering how I can show you footage like this. It’s not magic.”
Juhyeok tapped his smartwatch lightly.
“There’s something called a Universal Link low-orbit reconnaissance communication satellite. Ten of them are floating up there right now.”
The commanders looked up at the sky.
They couldn’t see anything.
“Wiz?”
—Yes.
Tzpit! Tzpit! Tzpit! Tzpit! Tzpit!
Five split screens appeared.
“Ah!”
“Um…”
“Huh!”
“T-that is—?”
Each screen showed the capital of one of their kingdoms.
People walking the streets, carriages moving about.
Even the royal palaces were visible.
“We can zoom in further, too.”
Then—
“Deploy a drone.”
—Executing.
From the low-orbit satellite above the Baltarion Empire’s imperial capital, a drone dropped downward.
“Switch to drone camera.”
Tzpit!
Footage from the low-flying drone appeared.
Duke Aurelion flinched.
It was his ducal estate.
The home where he lived.
Servants and maids working diligently.
His loyal retainers.
His sons and daughters, grandchildren.
“Ahhh…”
After circling the estate once, the drone flew elsewhere—
beyond the imperial capital, into a rugged mountain region.
Then came the image.
A massive boulder sat in the middle of the mountains.
“Think we can get rid of that rock? It’s an eyesore.”
—Understood. Removing it.
The drone flew over the boulder and dropped something.
KWAAANG! KWA-KWA-KWAANG!
With a tremendous explosion, the boulder vanished in a cloud of pale dust.
“It’s called a magic power bomb. Pretty decent firepower, right?”
The commanders were half-dazed.
They finally understood why this footage was being shown.
Kosak stepped forward with a cold smile.
“I, Kosak—ranked second among summoned in enhancement—will present the terms on behalf of our chairman.”
Second?
Not second—+2.
“We won’t be staying here long. We’ll be leaving soon. But wherever we are, whenever we are, we’ll know exactly what’s happening here in Kalzenia.”
Like the eyes of a god.
And in real time.
Because the White Tower space was connected to the Kalzenia dimension.
Because radio-wave communication was possible.
“Treat the beastfolk with care. If even a single one of them comes to harm, I will hold you responsible.”
Ksss—
Kosak’s gaze was utterly emotionless, chilling.
“Even if it wasn’t you who did it, heads will roll. Ribbons will be tied. Hands will slip.”
“And that’s not all. You might get drained to death by a dream demon. Melted by the green Ancient Dragon’s breath. Or smashed—bang! thud!—by that guy over there.”
“Roasted alive by Old Man Maeng. Beheaded by Inquisitor Bardin shouting ‘Let there be light!’ Or get a heavy round shoved up your asses by Captain Bae.”
Gulp.
The commanders swallowed dryly.
“But our Chairman Bong is merciful. For now.”
With a hollow feeling, Duke Aurelion forced his words out.
“…W-what must we do?”
“Do nothing, and nothing happens. Return home immediately.”
“And after we return…?”
“Man, you talk too much. Do we really need to explain even that?”
Kssss—
Suffocating killing intent pressed down on the commanders.
Resistance was impossible.
Their fighting spirit had vanished long ago.
Aurelion let out a deep sigh inwardly.
‘Hoo…’
At this very moment,
his level as a Grand Master felt utterly insignificant.
‘Why did I come here?’
When he first felt that ominous premonition,
he should have turned back immediately.