Round 343

Prev | TOC | Next

Sending the tiny humans away brought some relief.  

Despite experiencing unexpected events, I was glad that the dimensional invasion and the Seven Great Virtues issue, which had been lingering in my mind, were resolved.  

‘I didn’t need to worry after all.’  

Knowing they were such cute creatures, I could relax without concern.  

Ah, but if Emily also received the dimensional invasion message, does that mean other Awakened ones saw it too?  

Just as I was getting curious about the outside situation, another system message appeared before my eyes.  

[The Demon King’s army has been formed.]  

“??”  

The Demon King’s army? What is this about?  

At the same time, a quest was suddenly updated.  

[Hidden Quest: Dimensional Invasion]  

[Before even becoming a true Demon King, you have already launched a dimensional invasion! An incredible achievement! Invade other dimensions and turn them into the Demon King’s territory! ] 

[Other Dimension Recovery and Conquest: 0/1]  

What is this now?  

First, the Demon King’s army, and now a hidden dimensional invasion quest?  

I never wanted something like this!  

‘But if I think about it… isn’t it all the same in the end?’  

Even without the quest, I was planning to help Choro reclaim their world.  

And if I just helped outright, it might seem suspicious, so I casually told them to join under me.  

Either way, the quest would naturally be cleared.  

Of course, it was still up to the Choro to succeed.  

“Emily, I’m going to step out for a bit. Can you watch the kids?”  

“Yes!”  

I asked Emily to look after the kids for a while and decided to take Ara outside with me.  

Before heading out, I wanted to ask Kyler or Jae-seong about this, but I had no idea where they were.  

However, that worry was unnecessary because when I returned to the Slime Village, Kyler and Jae-seong were there.  

“Brother!”  

“Mr. Kyu-seong.”  

As soon as they saw me, they called out with serious expressions.  

It seemed like they had received the message.  

“Don’t worry.”  

“There’s nothing to worry about!”  

I cut them off before they could even speak.  

Both of them tilted their heads in confusion.  

“It’s about the dimensional invasion, right?”  

“Oh… yes, that’s correct.”  

Kyler nodded.  

Jae-seong, with his bear-like build, also looked anxious as he observed me.  

“I just took care of it.”  

“Took care of… it?”  

“Yes.”  

It might be hard to believe, but it was true.  

Ara, standing beside me, reinforced my words.  

“The hero crossed dimensions! But Emily defeated them in an impressive battle! In the end, the invaders got hungry, had a hearty meal, and went back!”  

The summary sounded strange, but it wasn’t wrong, so I couldn’t refute it.  

Kyler and Jae-seong both looked at me with expressions of utter confusion.  

“As unbelievable as it sounds, Ara’s explanation is mostly correct. I was in the Cat Village with Emily when a portal suddenly opened, and human-like beings the size of fairies came through. Fortunately, they were kind children, so I persuaded them and sent them back.”  

“…As expected of Mr. Kyu-seong. You even handled a dimensional invasion by yourself.”  

Kyler, who seemed deep in thought, nodded and muttered to himself.  

It felt like he was misunderstanding something.  

“But the dimensional invasion message was sent to all Awakened people, right?”  

“Not sure. We need to check. Since we were all inside this dungeon, the situation outside might be different.”  

“Hmm, understood.”  

I should go out and check through the portal I had set up near Hassan.  

I just got back, and now I have to leave again.  

Kyler immediately headed to where Emily was, and although Jae-seong still looked nervous, he went off to do his tasks.  

“We shall go forth!”  

With Ara’s exclamation, we used the portal.  

In an instant, my vision shifted to Hassan’s residence.  

‘This is really convenient.’  

As soon as we arrived, one of Hassan’s subordinates greeted us.  

“Welcome. I will contact Lord Hassan.”  

“Oh, if he’s busy, there’s no need to call him. I just have one quick question.”  

His name was Omar, I think?  

He nodded, indicating I could ask anything.  

Judging by his demeanor, it seemed like he hadn’t received the message.  

“Did you get any messages about a dimensional invasion?”  

“Dimensional invasion? No, I have not seen any such message.”  

“I see. That’s all I needed to check. Thank you.”  

“Did something happen?”  

“No, I was just curious.”  

This was enough confirmation.  

Just in case, I checked my phone, but it was quiet.  

Since I was here, I decided to take a quick look at the World Tree and Mark2 before heading back.  

Not much would have changed in just a few hours.  

“Huh? Elder?”  

“You’ve come? What brings you here?”  

Hassan was sitting in front of the World Tree, having set up a desk, bookshelf, and even a refrigerator.  

He held a wine glass in one hand while admiring the World Tree.  

“I just came for a quick look. Oh?”  

“It has grown quite a bit, hasn’t it? Haha! Watching it grow is quite entertaining.”  

Just as Hassan said, the World Tree had grown taller than me.  

It had only been a few hours, but its growth speed was incredible.  

“Huh? Whoa?”  

As I watched, I could see it stretching and growing in real-time.  

“It’s growing rapidly!”  

Ara, finding it fascinating, spread her arms wide and ran in circles around the tree.  

Since Mark2 was nearby, I asked.  

“Does it usually grow this fast?”  

Wobble.  

It seemed like he was saying “sort of,” but there was also a deeper meaning.  

“This place is rich in mana, so it absorbs mana quickly and grows faster!”  

“Ah-ha!”  

I had heard before that this area was overly saturated with mana, making it difficult for plants to grow.  

But for the World Tree, those conditions seemed to be beneficial.  

“We’ll be heading back now.”  

“Already? How about staying for a drink?”  

“How about next week? I still have things to do right now.”  

“Can’t be holding you back, then. Go on.”  

After exchanging farewells with Hassan, I returned to the dungeon.  

Tomorrow, I would go to China and set up another portal.  

‘So busy.’  

It had been a chaotic day.  

From planting the World Tree to Emily’s swordsmanship, the dimensional invasion, and the tiny humans’ story.  

…Wait?  

I felt like I was forgetting something.  

What was it?  

‘It’s probably not important.’  

If it were, I wouldn’t have forgotten.  

Wrapping up my busy day, I prepared to sleep with Ara.  

**  

Bzzzzzzz~  

“Huh? Already?”  

“Are they coming back?”  

“Hero!!”  

The portal that the advance party had crossed flickered.  

Soon, Choro was the first to appear.  

“Wow!!”  

“The Hero has returned!”  

The villagers, who had been secretly worried, welcomed Choro’s arrival.  

Choro, knowing they had been concerned, smiled brightly and greeted them.  

“Everyone! We’ve returned!”  

Following Choro, the ten members of the advance party crossed one by one.  

Seeing them all return safely, the people cheered.  

Clap clap clap clap!  

“I’m so glad you’re safe!”  

“H-Hero, what happened to the other world? Don’t tell me you’ve already defeated the Demon King?!”  

Unable to answer every question, Choro set down the crate he had carried back.  

“Brave Lion Unit! Bold Bear Unit!”  

“Yes!!”  

Soldiers rushed forward at Choro’s call.  

They were the main force preparing for the dimensional invasion.  

Of course, despite their grand names, they were barely clothed in tattered rags.  

Some of their weapons were nothing more than stone knives crudely sharpened from rocks found along the road.  

‘That doesn’t matter anymore.’  

Choro’s eyes shone.  

He had thought it over while crossing back, but no matter how much he considered it, there was no reason to refuse the Demon King’s offer.  

Becoming the Demon King’s subordinate? So what?  

If they followed him, there would be no need to invade another dimension or leave their homeland.  

And look at this.  

“Huh? Hero! What’s this?”  

“Food? It’s food!!”  

Food spilled out in abundance.  

More than enough to last everyone for at least a month.  

And as long as it was stored in the crate, it would stay cold.  

An absolutely incredible supply.  

Not only that, but they were told they could always come back for more if food ran low.  

Thinking back to that warehouse…  

The food they received was only a tiny fraction of what was stored there.  

The massive warehouse had been enough to leave Choro in awe.  

However, Choro didn’t know…  

That the warehouse in the Cat Village was actually the smallest one ever built.  

If he saw the twenty enormous storage buildings in the Slime Village, he might actually faint.  

Regardless, Choro and the soldiers began distributing the food.  

“Take your time! There’s plenty!”  

“Here, have some of this too. It tastes great.”  

The advance party smiled as they shared the food.  

The village turned into a festival.  

Having survived by gnawing on tree bark, digging up roots, or catching insects, many people shed tears as they tasted fresh vegetables for the first time in ages.  

Some couldn’t resist and began eating their rations raw on the spot.  

“Mm?”  

“Mm!?!”  

Then, all of them widened their eyes in shock.  

“What? What’s wrong?”  

“Did they eat too fast and get indigestion?”  

“See? I told you to take it slow and eat at home!”  

As people misunderstood and added their own comments, the ones who had eaten finally spoke.  

“It’s delicious!!”  

“This is amazing! I’ve never tasted anything like this!”  

“This must be food made by the gods!”  

They were all in awe.  

Most people assumed they were just exaggerating because of how hungry they had been.  

“Hungry people think everything tastes good. Let me try some too.”  

Crunch.  

One villager bit into a piece of chopped carrot.  

Soon, they too reacted just as dramatically.  

“It—It’s delicious!!”  

“Wait, let me try too!”  

One by one, more people started tasting the food on the spot.  

Originally, they planned to cook, but the fresh produce quickly spread among them as they ate it raw.  

Of course, Kyu-seong’s crops were incredibly flavorful even when eaten raw.  

In fact, their natural taste was enhanced, making an even stronger impression.  

“How can this taste so good?”  

“Hero! Where did you get this food?!”  

“Hero! Long live the Hero! Hooray!!”  

A full-blown celebration erupted.  

Everyone laughed and smiled as they enjoyed Kyu-seong’s crops.  

Choro and the advance party also watched happily, feeling warmth from the lively and joyful atmosphere.  

“…I’ve made my decision.”  

“Huh?”  

The advance party turned toward Choro, who had spoken quietly.  

“Even if Lee Kyu-seong is the Demon King, I will serve under him.”  

The advance party silently agreed.  

Even if this was all a ploy to trap them in a terrible contract, they had no other choice.  

“What do you all think?”  

“Honestly, I still don’t fully trust them. But our only choices were to fight them and die gloriously or to wither away here. Between those two, choosing a third option—becoming the Demon King’s subordinates—doesn’t seem so bad.”  

“I agree.”  

“So do I!”  

Everyone was in agreement.  

For the first time in a while, all ten members of the advance party shared the same opinion.  

That put Choro at ease.  

“Alright. From now on, we are subordinates of the Demon King, Lee Kyu-seong.”  

“Yes…!”  

A determined pledge.  

Even if there came a day when they regretted this decision, Choro prioritized saving his people first.  

As soon as they made their vow…  

[The Demon King’s army has been formed.]  

[When the Demon King’s army eats food made by the Demon King, buff effects are doubled.]  

A notification appeared for everyone.  

Soon, the villagers realized what had happened.  

“The D-Demon King…”  

“Hero! We…!”  

The advance party hadn’t expected a message to appear so quickly and were slightly flustered.  

But Choro stepped forward and spoke.  

“I’m sorry, everyone. As you can see, the food we brought came through a deal with the Demon King from the other world.”  

“Gasp!”  

“Demon realm crops?!”  

They had the wrong idea, but since it wasn’t entirely false, Choro didn’t bother correcting them.  

“They are massive and powerful. But because of that power, they are also generous. Thanks to that, we were able to receive mercy.”  

“H-Hero. Weren’t you supposed to defeat the Demon King?!”  

“I… will no longer be a hero.”  

Choro placed his sword back into the spot where it had originally been stuck.  

Then, he turned to the people.  

“You can curse me if you want.”  

No one spoke.  

Then, someone finally said—  

“It’s delicious, hehe.”  

“Why are you being so dramatic, Hero? Let’s eat already.”  

“But… don’t you feel like we’ve forgotten something? Something even more important than becoming the Demon King’s subordinates…?”  

One minute.  

That was all the time the serious mood lasted before the festival resumed.  

The villagers were naturally simple-minded.  

Choro and the advance party, knowing this well, soon joined in, each grabbing a tomato and taking a bite.  

Nom nom nom.  

“It seems we convinced them. That was tough.”  

“Whew. Persuading people really isn’t for just anyone.”  

Though it was unclear what exactly they had done, they congratulated each other nonetheless.  

Then, another message popped up.  

[The Hero has fallen.]  

[A fallen Hero can receive a portion of the Demon King’s power.]  

[The Hero can now summon slimes!]  

“Slimes?”  

Rather than the fallen hero part, something else caught their attention.  

What was this? Summoning slimes?  

Poof!  

A small slime was suddenly summoned in front of them.  

It wobbled, as if greeting them with a “Hello?”  

“Cute.”  

“It’s adorable!”  

“Is this the Hero’s new power?!”  

Choro stared at the tiny slime resting in his palm in shock.  

‘…It’s… cute.’  

Thus, Choro awakened to the charm of slimes.  

Prev | TOC | Next