He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 117

“According to the survivors of the expedition, the Temple of Prospera has been seized by the Ratmen.”

“Ratmen… Aren’t they even weaker and more cowardly than goblins?”

I stated the obvious, and Jack nodded.

“Yes, but they are more numerous than goblins. Moreover, they fight very cunningly.”

“Even so, was that enough to make the expedition fail?”

No matter how numerous and cunning they are, it seemed strange that they could defeat and nearly wipe out experienced explorers.

Then Jack added.

“That’s… actually, there have been some strange reports.”

“Strange reports?”

“Yes, the report says they are using some kind of powerful weapon. Something the primitive Ratmen never used to use…”

Goblins, like other Greenskins, and Ratmen are barbaric races with no civilization.

But these Ratmen are using powerful weapons, enough to destroy an expedition?

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they got something from that temple.”

“That’s probably the case.”

Prospera is the goddess of conspiracy and schemes, but also the goddess of knowledge and civilization.

If something inside that temple accelerated their civilization or there were weapons to plunder, it would be somewhat explainable.

“Then we need to hurry.”

Before those nasty rats turn into something even scarier.

* * *

“We need to be careful around here.”

“I can see the temple.”

This land has been abandoned as a demonic realm for a long time.

We marched towards the Temple of Prospera, which stood in the middle of it.

However, we didn’t just bring the mercenaries from the hunting camp.

“Let the Legions lead the way. Guard Captain, are you ready?”

“Of course.”

Originally, I came to the demonic realm without any escort, but since an army was needed, I brought 100 Legions.

It was the Emperor’s Sword Legion, made up of the Guard Captain and the Guards.

The Guard Captain, who had also become a Legion, replied, appearing stronger than before.

Behind him, Legions wearing thick, rough plate armor were lined up.

Everyone looked like heavy steel robots.

“Then let’s begin.”

Swish-

Cheo cheok-

I drew my sword and went to the very front.

The Legions immediately followed and guarded me, and behind them followed Jack, commanding the mercenaries armed with crossbows and other weapons.

Before long, we arrived at a swamp overgrown with bushes where the temple could be seen in the distance.

“Wait, something’s suspicious.”

The moment we were about to pass through the swamp, Jack immediately stopped the march.

If he, an excellent ranger, felt something uneasy, it couldn’t be a lie.

I immediately activated the Watcher’s Web and Sharp Weakness Detection.

“Oh, that’s what it was.”

[Deploy Multiple Shadow Blades]

Shu shu shuk, shuk!

-Squeak! Kuek!

The shadow blades that stretched out over and behind the bushes and trees stabbed and killed the Ratmen who were hiding.

-Squeak! Kill the humans, squeak!

Puhwaaaak!

“They’re underground too!”

The Ratmen, whose ambush had failed, immediately came out and started attacking, even those who had been hiding in the swamp’s ground.

Suddenly, they jumped out from nearby and tried to stab our allies with swords imbued with aura, but…

Kwajik!

“Kek?”

“Eliminating the enemies of the Empire.”

Kadeudeuk!

The Legions easily repelled their surprise attack.

Most of them were just grabbing their necks and breaking them, but even if a dagger imbued with aura pierced the armor, it couldn’t penetrate the plate armor that ordinary humans couldn’t even wear. Even if it did, it couldn’t harm the Legion’s strong body.

“Then shall I go too!”

Jeujeujeujeu- Kwaaaang!

I swung my sword containing explosive aura and scattered the aura, and the entire swamp was swept away by the explosion of energy.

The Ratmen, who were still lurking underground, hurriedly jumped out or were swept away by the explosion and were truly buried underground.

Then I charged at the Ratmen and slashed wildly through them, scattering sword energy indiscriminately.

The weak Ratmen had no way to withstand it.

“In, incredible!”

“Were the legendary heroic tales about Lord Shadow all true?”

The mercenaries were admiring the sight.

-Squeak squeak squeak! Fire! Fire the guns!

“What? Guns?”

But at that time, I, who could translate and hear their language, heard words that were hard to ignore.

Guns? Do those guys have the same kind of guns that they use in the South [a region known for its advanced technology]?

Tada dada dang!

At that moment, a gunshot rang out.

Fortunately, I had already received a warning from ‘Sharp Weakness Detection’.

[Mana Heart Output Amplification]

[Deploy High-Speed Movement, Current Efficiency 300%]

Pada dang!

I was able to move quickly and avoid the trajectory of the bullet in advance.

I quickly hid behind a few trees for cover, and they were hit by the bullets instead of me.

“Lord Shadow is in danger! Everyone, charge!”

The Guard Captain immediately ordered the Legions to charge.

I hid among the Legions for a while, avoiding the hail of bullets that began to fall.

The armor I was wearing was not as thick as the Legions’ armor, so it was vulnerable to bullets.

Ting! Titing!

Fortunately, the Legions’ thick armor often deflected bullets.

Of course, there were times when they couldn’t deflect them, but the Legion’s strong body was fine even after being hit by a few bullets.

“For His Majesty the Emperor!”

On the other hand, the Legions rushed in with roars as if they were unleashing their rage, literally tearing the Ratmen apart.

The Ratmen, who were holding some kind of strange-looking guns, couldn’t resist their charge very well.

“Sniping the remaining ones while the Legions draw their attention!”

Of course, there were still some guys left who were trying to fire, but they were sniped by Jack and the mercenaries.

Tada dada dat! Seokeok! Chwaak!

And I also started to counterattack. As soon as the firing squad collapsed, I rushed into the Ratmen and slaughtered them.

“We’ve taken care of them all. But this gun…”

“It’s the magic-triggered gun they use in the South. The shape is a bit different, though.”

“Because they made it themselves.”

Even compared to the magic-triggered guns I saw in the South, they weren’t that bad.

It was crude and its durability was questionable, but considering the level of the Ratmen, it was amazing that they could make such guns on their own.

“Of course, it must have been influenced by the temple. Whatever is in there, we must get it.”

“Before that, it would be easier if we armed ourselves with their guns.”

“Do that.”

The mercenaries were already armed with crossbows, but in terms of firepower, firearms, even if they were at the musket level, were superior.

Since it was a magic-triggered type rather than gunpowder, gunpowder was not needed if you knew how to use magic to some extent.

“A gun. It was a precious thing that could only be seen in the South.”

“We got lucky to get it here.”

The mercenaries were happy to have acquired new weapons.

After taking some time to collect the spoils, we headed back to the temple with the Legions in the lead.

“Annihilate the enemies of the Empire!”

“For the Empire!”

Soon after reaching the temple, we engaged the Ratmen again.

Those Ratmen were also armed with firearms, but we were able to push them back without much difficulty as the Legions led the way and the mercenaries provided supporting fire.

Seokeok! Chwaak! Pook!

I also flew around with the Wings of Light deployed and harvested the Ratmen’s necks with the Holy Sword.

The fight was almost one-sided.

-Squeak! Retreat! Retreat!

The Ratmen, overwhelmed by the superior forces, immediately began to retreat somewhere.

Perhaps because they were rats, their escape speed was very fast.

Of course, it wasn’t at a level where I couldn’t chase them down and kill them, but I watched to find out where they were fleeing.

Soon, I found a place where the rats were going underground.

“Lord Shadow, there is something you should see before going there.”

Just as I was about to go down there, Jack approached me.

“What is it?”

“I found something strange…”

I didn’t know what Jack was talking about, so I immediately followed him to see what his men had found.

-Beep, Inappropriate. Bring a suitable person with access rights.

“This is…”

Following Jack, there was a round, ball-shaped drone with geometric patterns engraved on it.

I don’t know what principle it works on… no, without even looking, it’s probably magic, but the drone was repeatedly saying ‘Inappropriate’ to the surrounding Legions and mercenaries.

It was a very alien sight in the fantasy medieval world, so the mercenaries had expressions of half wonder and half fear.

-Beep! Suitable user found!

In the meantime, the drone came to me.

-Detection of Imperial Soul possession. Unlocked access to the ‘Vault’ for you.

“Me?”

-That’s right. Master.

“Who are you?”

-I am ‘Kisil’, the caretaker of the Vault.

Beep- Beep-

The round, ball-shaped drone floating in the air, or rather ‘Kisil’, was bouncing around as if it was excited that I had come.

“It’s called a treasure vault, but whose treasure vault is it? Is it Prospera’s?”

-That’s right. This temple is a treasure vault where Prospera stored civilization and knowledge a long time ago.

“I don’t know why it was abandoned for such a thing.”

-During the Second Great Demonic War about 1,500 years ago, the Empire suffered severe damage and the temple was abandoned in a demonized area. Fortunately, the closure procedure was carried out and it did not fall into the hands of the demons.

So it has been protecting it for such a long time… Hearing those words, I felt like this guy might have been lonely all this time.

It was a bit strange to have such thoughts about a guy who looked like a machine.

But I pointed out another important point than that.

“But you said it was closed? Then why are the rats running around?”

-Ratmen are a race that digs and lives underground. Unfortunately, they dug underground and invaded the Vault.

Ah, that’s how it is.

-Beep, Master, who has inherited the Imperial Soul, can rebuild this place. Please defeat the Ratmen and recapture this place.

“Well, I will. But I saw them using guns.”

The Ratmen are using weapons that they originally couldn’t use.

That meant they were getting something out of the Vault that Kisil was talking about.

-That’s right. The Vault has not been completely taken over, but a considerable level of knowledge has already been exposed. If you don’t stop them, a great disaster will occur.

“That’s right. Then I’ll go down right away.”

As I vaguely worried about at first, it would be a problem for the Empire if the Ratmen become stronger, similar to the time of Gobemain [a past enemy who gained power].

Of course, there was no reason not to stop it.

“Your Majesty, can we trust what that thing is saying?”

“It doesn’t seem to be lying. The Ratmen actually have those weapons, right? Then we must take control of this place. For the development of the Empire.”

I don’t know for sure, but if we get our hands on this place, it will be of tremendous help to the development of the Empire’s technology and knowledge.

Even this ‘Kisil’ alone is over-technology that could not exist in the general Middle Ages.

The development of the magician city where the secret maze was located could spread throughout the Empire.

“I understand. Then I will prepare to go down right away.”

So we went down to the basement of the temple where the Ratmen had fled.