Chapter 285. Clouds of War (2)
[Underground Fortress in Africa]
“He’s planning on building a nation.”
This was Rumi’s last testimony as the spy.
“…A nation?”
Aileen and Jin Seyeon, who were writing down Rumi’s words, tilted their heads in confusion.
“Yes. He’s already built a number of villages in Africa. Didn’t you say there were missing people after the recent monster incident?”
“Huh? Yeah, I did, but… that can’t be right.”
Rumi drank a sip of cold water and sighed.
“…Your guess is correct. Orden probably forced those missing people to migrate into the villages he built. Your drones weren’t able to detect it because his hypervigilant monster birds destroyed them beforehand.”
What Rumi was saying made sense. The government had dispatched a thousand drones to Africa but 990 of them had already been destroyed. They had to utilize the remaining 10 to plan a safe route.
But the fact that Orden kept humans alive and even built them a place to live was difficult to believe.
Rumi continued, “Trust me. I’ve seen his papers. I was in charge of assigning categories.”
“Categories?”
“Yes. I ranked monsters and villages.”
Rumi recited the ‘settings’ of Orden’s Kingdom. All monsters were assigned a category among Sacred Bone and True Bone, rank-1 to rank-9. Similarly. All villages were assigned a rank of either low, middle, and upper.
“…So you’re saying there really are villages.”
“That’s right. They’re human villages run by monsters. Orden chose this method because he knew there weren’t enough humanoid monsters compared to humans. But among Orden’s monsters are scientists who are researching ways to turn the kidnapped humans into monsters.”
When the conversation reached that point, Aileen was frowning like a dwarf in agony. Yi Gongmyung’s face on her laptop screen had a similar look.
Yi Gongmyung spoke.
—…We’ll hear about the details from the others.
“Hmm?”
Aileen and Jin Seyeon both seemed confused.
‘Is he trying to say that there are other spies besides Rumi?’ they wondered.
“What do you mean by ‘others’?”
—Oh, I received this news just now.
Yi Gongmyung let out a sigh of relief and relayed the message he had just received from his superiors.
—Apparently Black Lotus and the rest of the Chameleon Troupe are participating in this mission. They’re traveling by land, so if there really are villages, then they’ll be the first to run into them.
**
We arrived in Africa. At first, we couldn’t help but wonder if we arrived at the wrong place. A lot had changed since the last time we visited.
“Isn’t that a village~?”
Jain muttered in surprise. Other members, including me, were surprised as well.
“…Yes, that seems to be a village.”
It sufficed to say that Africa had also went through a ‘great change’. The land that once crawled with monsters had been transformed into one fit for human survival. There weren’t any tall buildings or skyscrapers that could be seen in a city. However, there were small, round buildings which were enough to create a rural scenery.
“Where are we exactly, Khalifa?”
Boss asked Khalifa.
“I’d say we’re on the outskirts of Orden’s Territory. We only have to travel 700 km to reach Orden’s palace.”
Orden would’ve noticed instantly if we had set up a portal near his palace. So, Khalifa created his portal on the outskirts of Africa. This village was erected in the middle of the shortest route to Orden’s palace.
“But those villagers aren’t monsters.”
Cheok Jungyeong narrowed his eyes and peered into the distance, tilting his head sideways.
“You’re right. They’re all humans.”
Because I had better eyesight than him, I had noticed that the second we arrived here. All the villagers were humans. Not monsters but pure humans.
“Ah~ I heard that the number of missing people skyrocketed after the recent monster incident~ So this is where he brought all those people~ By the looks of it, he even brainwashed them a little~ How interesting~”
Jain chuckled.
The Middle East and Western Europe were still infested with monsters, yet the number of missing people were much higher than the number of casualties. It made sense for the village to be this big if we assumed that those missing people were kidnapped rather than killed.
“Hmm. Well, let’s see what Orden has to say first.”
I pulled up the live broadcast of Orden’s declaration on my smartwatch.
—…First, I demand humans be sent to Africa. Each country is to send two hundred million people. I promise to keep the hostages safe.
—Second, I demand official acknowledgment and respect of me and my servants as ‘Neohumans’. Neohumans are superior to humans. Humans should be grateful that we’re not choosing to eliminate them or rule over them forcefully.
Orden’s demands were quite absurd. No country would ever agree to hand over two hundred million citizens to any entity, much less a hostile one.
—…As a tolerant ruler, I am willing to offer the humans a grace period of 6 months.
“That’s enough crap for a day. It seems that Orden built this village.”
I turned the smartwatch off and looked at the members of the Chameleon Troupe.
They were all looking at me.
“Well… Why don’t we build an outpost for ourselves first? Like that underground fortress, the Special Task Force built.”
“Outpost~?”
Jain tilted her head questioningly.
“Yes. This mission will probably take a while.”
“Why don’t we just use that village as the outpost?”
Cheok Jungyeong suggested.
“Mm, that sounds like a good idea.”
“So I guess even a bonehead like you can be useful once in a while~”
Not only Jin Yohan and Setryn but also Jain agreed.
“Uh….”
“Why are you hesitating? We could wipe that place out in a second.”
It was then that I realized the true strength of our party.
In fact, Cheok Jungyeong and Boss alone would be enough to overwhelm most humanoid monsters.
“…Okay, then.”
With a smile, I raised a finger and pointed to the center of the village.
“How about that castle over there? Seems like a place where the village lord would live.”
The castle wasn’t enormous but it was taller than all the other buildings around it.
“Good. Let’s head there.”
At Boss’s declaration, we moved like the wind.
[‘Crean’, a low-rank village located in the far south corner of Orden’s Kingdom]
“Hmm….”
‘Tenzuhar’ was the name of the humanoid monster selected to become the lord of Crean. He was small and looked like a lizard. He was selected as the lord because he was an eloquent speaker and possessed a rare ability called ‘Brainwash’.
It was also because stronger humanoid monsters preferred to stay in the central palace rather than rule over humans.
“…Hmm.”
Tenzuhar pondered, shaking his leg. ‘How can I win Orden’s affection and acquire fame and fortune? I can’t possibly satiate my thirst for ambition on the outskirts of a hot country like this.’
“Surely improving the village won’t be enough. Slurp.”
Only humans resided in Crean. Villages located deeper into the mainland had at least some monster residents. But he’d have to be at least rank-1 to be able to take over villages like that.
“Slurp. Even if I dig the mines, all the ores end up flowing into middle or upper-rank villages….”
Crean was a low-rank mining village.
“But if I don’t produce anything, I’ll only end up getting punished. Slurp.”
Premian, the most delicate magic ore on Earth.
A large amount of Premian was buried in Crean and that was why all the villagers were humans. With monsters’ sharp claws, they would crush Premian into dust before even digging them out completely.
“There’s no opportunity for me to stand out…. Slurp.”
Tenzuhar smacked his lips.
Most small humanoid monsters possessed a great desire to succeed. It was a genetic predisposition, granted to them as compensation as they weren’t as strong as other monsters.
Tenzuhar was no different. He was dissatisfied with the village he was in charge of, even though Crean was far too good for him.
“Darn it. Guard!”
Irritated, Tenzuhar called in a guard to gratify his hunger.
—Krrrk!
Tenzuhar’s guard was a rank-4 monster who lacked the ability to speak or to think complex thoughts. He was assigned rank-4 only because he was strong. Strong enough to win against a high-rank grade-3 Hero.
“Give me something to eat!”
—Krrk!
The guard nodded his head and left.
“Tsk.”
The criteria for classifying monsters had been developed only recently. Most monsters were assigned into a class between rank-1 and rank-9. Only a select few could become a ‘True Bone’ or a ‘Sacred Bone’.
“Slurp. What can I do with underlings who can’t even speak?”
In fact, the primary criterion for classifying a monster was its ability to speak. If you couldn’t speak properly, you were rank-2 at best. The second most important criteria considered strength, intelligence, and special ability.
Tenzuhar was a rank-3 humanoid monster. He was weak but could speak fluently. His ability was decent and his intelligence was above human average.
Crash—
At that moment, he heard a ruckus downstairs.
Tenzuhar got up from his seat, full of anger.
“Slurp! He can’t even do something as simple as bringing me food! Slurp.”
He stomped towards the door to go give his guard a scolding.
It was then.
Kiik— The door opened.
No, somebody opened the door.
Confused, Tenzuhar looked at the human beyond the gap.
“…?”
The human was huge. His muscles were the size of his head and his legs were as thick as his waist.
‘Did I have a resident who looks like that?’ Tenzuhar pondered.
Suddenly, ssk—
A sharp blade reached Tenzuhar’s neck. The humanoid monster gasped at the sudden coldness.
“Quiet.”
“….”
Tenzuhar glanced at the enemy behind him.
He couldn’t see the intruder’s face, but Tenzuhar noticed that he was wearing a black robe with a lotus embroidery.
‘Black Lotus.’
His symbol was well known among Orden’s monsters as well. Tenzuhar started to drool in fear.
“…Do you have anything to say?”
Black Lotus asked.
Under overwhelming pressure and fear, Tenzuhar answered.
“Spare me…. I know nothing. Slurrrp. Slurp, slurp. Slurrrrp….”
Tenzuhar began to roll his tongue rapidly and soon lost consciousness when he choked on his own tongue. Kim Hajin looked at his stats.
[Life force 33/100]
[Name — Tenzuhar]
[Alignment — Misdemeanors / Ambitionist]
[Realm — Stage-1 Average]
[Potential — Stage-3 Average]
[Job — Low-rank Administrator]
[Status — Unconscious from fear]
[Special Ability — Low-intermediate-rank Brainwash]
[Potential to coax — Surprisingly high]
He didn’t have the ability to call for help remotely.
There was no reason to kill him, so Kim Hajin threw him on the floor.
**
We easily took over the castle. I tied Tenzuhar up with a rope and hung him upside down. Then, I settled on a nearby sofa.
“Hm. The view is surprisingly beautiful from here.”
“So now that the outpost is taken care of….”
Boss looked outside the window and Jain muttered with a map in her hands.
“There are only four villages from here to Orden’s Palace.”
“…!”
At that moment, Tenzuhar opened his eyes.
“Huuak!”
“Eh? What the. You didn’t kill this guy, Lotus~?”
“No. I thought maybe we could use him later on.”
“Slurp. Please spare me. Spare me, slurp. Slurrrp….”
Tenzuhar fainted again soon after opening his eyes.
‘What a strange monster.’
I ignored him and summoned a demon merchant.
[You spent 1000 DP to summon the demon merchant ‘Kuong’.]
—Nice to see you! I’m the visiting demon merchant, Kuong!
Kuong, the only ‘neutral’ demon merchant I’d seen, appeared before us. He beamed at me.
“I need a communication device that I can use to contact the underground fortress. Do you have anything like that?”
—Yes, of course~ One for you and one for the fortress. That’ll be 1250 DP including the delivery fee.
When I paid him the 1250 DP through the System, Kuong handed me a black handheld transceiver.
—Thank you. Is there anything else?
“Uh… Maybe?“
The demon merchant system turned out to be more useful than I thought. The fact that they were willing to do anything for me as long as I paid them was very convenient, just like Yoo Yeonha said.
I stroked my chin as I spoke.
“…Hey.”
—Yes?
“Is there a way to, um, make DP without doing anything?
—You already did, with the lottery!
“Well, that’s true. But you said that the number of first place tickets is fixed. And it’s pretty tiring to scratch all those tickets.”
DP lottery was divided into different rounds and there were only 10 first place tickets in a round. So, as the number of first place tickets decreased, the chance of winning decreased as well. And there was no way for me to know if all the first place tickets had already been picked, especially considering that this lottery happened in multiple dimensions like the demon merchant said.
—Mmm~ Then, would you like to try the minigame?
“Minigame?”
“Hey, Lotus~ Are you having fun with the merchant~?”
Jain suddenly intervened, and I pushed her away.
“What is it?”
—Please look over here.
Kuong spread his palms and, all of sudden, a video popped up.
[A dimension within a dimension. Your DP donation can save other subdimensions.]
It sounded like a line from a public service advertisement.
After about 5 seconds, a sphere appeared above Kuong’s palms.
“What’s this?”
—Similar to the lottery, this is a game of luck. This planet is called ‘Lailos’. It’s a subdimension of Earth.
“Subdimension?”
—Yes, it’s a dimension that’s lower in rank than Earth. The difference between Earth and Lailos is kind of like the difference between ‘reality’ and a ‘novel’.
“…Why would you compare it to a novel of all things?”
—It’s just an example. Anyways, look here.
Kuong shook his hand to zoom in on ‘Lailos’. The sphere transformed into a plot of land. A group of knights were standing there.
Kuong spoke.
—’Lailos’ is also fighting against Demon Realm Transformation. You, a being from a higher dimension, can help the people of Lailos.
“Why would I help them? I’m busy taking care of myself.”
—By sponsoring a person, you can earn DP every time the person you sponsor kills a demonic beast.
“…Hmm. Really?”
I looked closely at the knights.
‘One, two, one, two—!’
Hundreds of tiny knights were training hard.
‘You won’t kill a single demonic beast if that’s all you’re capable of!’
Even the superior knight’s scolding sounded cute.
—Why don’t you give it a try? But be careful! You can only sponsor up to three people. It’s usually one, but you get two extra because you have 5 stats! Anyways, you should try to pick someone with high potential.
“Ah~ So that’s why you said this was similar to the lottery.”
—That’s right! You should pick the strongest and the most diligent one! Time also flows quicker in this dimension. A year in Lailos is 30 days in this world. You’re going to be sitting on a mountain of DP soon!
“Got it.”
The conditions were extremely advantageous for me.
I didn’t even have to use my luck.
I looked over the knights one by one and began gauging their potential. It didn’t matter how strong they were right now. I focused on their ‘potential’.
One knight had a potential of [Stage-3 Average], the other was [Stage-4 Rare], and even the superior with the loud voice was only [Stage-5 Rare].
‘Does anyone here have actual talent?’
I carefully studied the knights.
“…Ah, found one.”
A woman was hiding behind a tree, watching the other knights train.
She looked young and she still had her baby fat. But the look on her face was upright and determined just like a knight should be.
[Life force 100/100]
[Name — Litrain]
[Alignment — Good / Ambitionist]
[Realm — Stage-0 Below-Average]
[Potential — Stage-9 Extraordinary]
[Job — Squire]
[Status — Feeling envious of her seniors]
[Potential to coax — Looking for a master to serve]
Her potential was an astounding stage-9. I wasn’t exactly sure how good that was, but I assumed it was good enough that she could grow on her own even if I left her alone.
I picked Litrain as my beneficiary.
[You have chosen to sponsor Litrain, a squire.]
—How much would you like to donate?
“100,000 DP.”
—Wow, you’re very generous~
[You have donated 100,000 DP to Litrain. Litrain has gained the feature ‘Status Window’.]
[Litrain will gratefully use your donation.]
The next moment, Litrain’s eyes widened. Unsurprisingly, she looked confused.
But this ‘donation’ appeared to be a well-known phenomenon in Lailos. Litrain clenched her fists and jumped up in joy.
—Hooray~! I was chosen-!
At her shout, all the other knights turned their attention to her.
“What’s this? She’s suddenly happy.”
—Ah, the people of Lailos are familiar with donations… Hmm? Something strange happened during the donation process!
Kuong’s eyes suddenly widened, and a number of system messages blocked my view.
[Your interdimensional luck activates.]
[As a result of your luck, Litrain’s physical ability is strengthened!]
[As a result of your luck, Litrain’s growth is accelerated!]
[You can now receive 100% of DP that Litrain earns from hunting demonic beasts.]
—Congratulation! This character will become very strong, very soon! You’ll be able to recover your initial donation of 100,000 DP in two months.
“…Mm, well this sounds great.”
I looked at Litrain, who was jumping up and down in joy, then turned the ‘minigame’ off.
“That’s done.”
I grabbed the transceiver I bought and turned around.
“Underground Fortress, can you hear me?”
The transceiver was connected to the underground fortress.
The answer came quickly.
—Yes, I can. This is Aileen, and you are… Lotus? I received the transceiver. So we meet again. It’s good to see you, I guess?
Aileen’s voice sounded cheerful as usual.
I spoke in Black Lotus’s usual nonchalant manner.
“This is Black Lotus. We have taken over one of Orden’s villages.”