I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 208

That afternoon, Elysee returned to the capital.

It seemed that all the necessary investigations for the Winter Silver Merchant Guild were complete. She said that next time, she would come with the personnel to build a branch of the guild.

“And, please accept this.”

Elysee opened her sword case and took out a dagger, handing it to me.

“It seems you lack some emergency means to protect yourself.”

[Spirit Crasher (SR) Lv.1]

– Category: Dagger

– Attack Power: 0

– Durability: 1/1

– Strikes the target’s soul, causing a stun. The stun duration is up to 5 seconds and is reduced depending on the target’s magic stat.

– This equipment is one-time use.

[Spirit Crasher]!

It was a consumable, but it was a dagger that could reliably stun an enemy. To give me such a precious item. I quickly took it and tucked it into my pocket.

“Thank you, Elysee. I’ll use it well.”

“You’re welcome.”

Elysee smiled meaningfully.

“Then, I hope you enjoy your short freedom, Your Highness.”

“Huh?”

Short freedom? What does that even mean?

But Elysee didn’t explain and left my mansion as it was, leaving Crossroads that way.

What is it, what does it mean?

***

After a full day of rest.

The next day, I summoned the main party members. I was planning to head to the dungeon right away.

‘I need to accelerate leveling.’

Most of the main party members had not yet reached level 50.

I needed to quickly get them to level 50, complete their third job advancements, and awaken their ultimate skills.

The performance difference between characters with and without ultimate skills was like heaven and earth.

I instructed them to prepare and gather, as we were leaving for the dungeon, and after lunchtime, all the party members were assembled.

Lukas, Evangeline, and I were still not fully recovered from our minor injuries, but thanks to intensive treatment at the temple, our condition was good. Junior also seemed fine after a good rest.

And Damian was…….

Slinking.

“…….”

Slinking, slinking…….

He was now dripping black aura from his whole body…….

His face was gaunt, as if he hadn’t slept properly, and he was staggering, clutching his magic gun as if it were gold and jewels. Oh dear.

I made a solemn request to the other party members.

“You see that Damian isn’t in good shape, right? If you see that he’s about to completely lose it, take that gun away from him. He’ll be a bit better then.”

Everyone nodded. Good.

“Then, shall we go! Let’s go!”

***

[Now Loading……Teleporting.]

[Tip – ‘Defense Tower’ summon scrolls are guaranteed drops as you progress through the dungeon. ‘Boss Monster’ summon scrolls are randomly dropped when you defeat boss monsters.]

Oh, for once, the tip is giving advice that is useful for the current situation.

The only summon available in the ‘Defense Tower’ category right now is the ‘Automatic Defense Turret.’

The next tier of defense towers can be obtained by clearing one of the dungeons in Area 5.

‘I should start attacking the Area 5 dungeons from today.’

It had been delayed a lot. Let’s pick up the pace from today.

As I was thinking, my vision brightened.

***

Flash!

As I passed through the teleport gate, it was the base camp that I was now completely familiar with.

Even in the Lake Kingdom swallowed by darkness, this base camp was particularly bright. Flames burning brightly from all directions were driving away the darkness.

‘Which dungeons should I tackle today, let’s see…….’

As soon as I arrived at the base camp, I was about to plan a route to decide which of the Area 5 dungeons to tackle first, when,

Kugugugung……!

Suddenly, the ground shook violently. The whole city was trembling and vibrating. My party members and I were horrified and grabbed onto our surroundings.

“What is it, an earthquake?!”

Was there such an event in the game?!

“It’s not an earthquake.”

What answered my panicked cry was the blacksmith dwarf, Kellybay, who was sitting calmly in the center of the base camp.

Kellybay, who gulped down a bottle of alcohol with a “Kuh~!” sound, grinned.

“It’s just the ‘World Serpent’ moving.”

I frowned.

“The World Serpent? That’s…….”

“Jormungand.”

Kellybay, wiping the alcohol from his mouth with the back of his hand, spat out the monster’s name.

“The monster ‘flooding’ this time is that guy.”

“What did you say?!”

Horrified, I immediately opened the system window.

I hadn’t even encountered a monster yet, and I had only just entered the dungeon, but the enemy information for the next stage was already appearing.

[Enemy Information – STAGE 9]

– Lv.? ??? : 1 entity

– Until start: 10 days

“No way, this is for real?!”

Only one enemy was displayed in the enemy information window for Stage 9.

There are many monster legions where combat power is concentrated on the boss monster, but there is only one monster legion where only one entity exists.

Jormungand.

The largest serpent in the world.

A super-giant monster that is honestly pushing into Crossroads alone, without any subordinates—this bastard is the enemy, the legion, and the boss of this stage!

‘Why is he appearing in the first year? He should appear in the second year at the earliest!’

It was absurd that Jormungand appeared in Stage 9, but what was even more absurd was…… that I wasn’t very surprised by this increase in difficulty anymore.

The difficulty of this game had already gone crazy. Even if it gets a little harder now, I just accept it. Damn it…….

“……No, but why are you grinning like that, Master Blacksmith?”

“Huh?”

The giant serpent was crawling around the entire Lake Kingdom, creating tremendous vibrations, but Kellybay was smiling and drinking as if it were a celebratory drink. What was so good about it?

“Well, when that snake crawls around…….”

Kellybay pulled a bucket behind him forward, showing the contents.

“I can collect a lot of scales!”

Inside the bucket, silver scales were scattering sharp light like metal fragments.

“This precious thing is being scattered everywhere for free, how can I not be happy!”

“…….”

But we have to fight that guy covered in those precious scales with our lives on the line.

As I became gloomy, Kellybay looked apologetic and said carefully.

“Don’t be too down. I’ll make you a suit of armor with this.”

“Really……?”

“Have I ever cheated you with equipment? I’ll make you a great set.”

I immediately pointed to Evangeline and made an additional request.

“Then, make a part that can be added to her shield too.”

“You’re just going to strip me bare, sigh.”

Kellybay grumbled and gulped down his bottle of alcohol. I chuckled. Even while grumbling, he would do everything, this old man.

“…….”

At that moment, I felt a subtle gaze. When I turned around, it was Evangeline.

Evangeline was looking at me with a slightly touched, yet somehow…… a strange smile that seemed to say, ‘I knew it.’ What is it, why?

“To take care of my shield separately, heehee…….”

Huh? Well, you’re the main tank, so of course, I should take care of your equipment first?

“I understand your feelings for me, senior. Umhuhuhu…….”

“Oh? Well, yeah…….”

Evangeline’s condition was a bit off, but I thought she was just maintaining her previous state of being out of it, so I just ignored it.

Anyway, getting equipment made from Jormungand scales was good news, but there was more bad news than good.

‘First of all, my plan to go to the Area 5 dungeons has been completely thwarted.’

Normally, the monsters that would swarm during the defense battle would gather in each dungeon, and we would hunt them to gain experience.

Since Jormungand is a single entity legion that only exists as one body…… monsters don’t gather in the dungeons.

Since there are no monsters to hunt, all dungeons are forcibly closed.

‘This not only blocks my item farming plan, but also makes experience farming impossible.’

How can I gain experience when there are no monsters?

This creates a major setback in my leveling plan. At this rate, I won’t even reach level 50, and it will be difficult to even maintain my combat sense for the great monster battle.

‘The good thing is that there isn’t absolutely no way.’

I reached into my pocket and took out a round key from my inventory.

[Slime Room Key].

It was an item I received as a reward after completing Stage 8, and it was an entry item that allowed me to enter an event dungeon.

It was similar to when I caught the golden goblin in the Golden Room event dungeon before.

The Slime Room was the most unremarkable of the event dungeons, just a dungeon where you defeat waves of slimes that appear in large numbers.

It was even a pure experience farming dungeon where you couldn’t even acquire items, but it was useful in the current situation.

I went to the teleport NPC in the base camp, the old woman ‘Coco the Slicer.’

Coco, who was making suspicious potions in her witch’s workshop, was delighted to see me.

“Uhihit, newbie! You’ve come to see me after a long time! Do you have a door for me to open?”

I silently handed over the [Slime Room Key].

Coco nodded and immediately opened a portal. A swirling magical door opened in front of us.

“This key can open the door a total of three times, so you can go in and out two more times.”

“Thank you, Grandma Coco.”

After expressing my gratitude, I turned to my party members and began to explain.

The monster we had to face in this defense battle was an incredibly huge serpent.

And because it was just one serpent, there were no monsters in the dungeons here this season.

As a last resort, we would go into this Slime Room to level up.

The party members all nodded silently.

The main party members already followed me without a shred of doubt, to the point that they would carry out any order I gave.

“This Slime Room dungeon is structured so that you have to defeat several waves of slimes once you enter. Is everyone ready?”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Let’s finish this quickly and go back to rest, Your Highness.”

Lukas, quick-witted, and Junior, relaxed, answered in turn, and,

“Heh heh……. Slimes, I’ll take them all out in one shot…….”

Damian, sounding tired, spoke with a mix of bravado.

Finally, Evangeline,

Squeezed.

Suddenly approached and grabbed my hand tightly.

Then, with a greasy look in her eyes, she whispered to me.

“I’ll protect you, senior.”

“Huh?”

“No matter what hardships and trials come, I will be by your side and be your shield to protect you.”

“Uh, uh…… yeah, thanks…….”

“Hehe, hehe, umhuhuhuhu!”

……Why is she like this since a while ago? Did she eat something wrong?

I didn’t know what was going on, so I gestured to the party members,

‘I don’t know either.’

Lukas shrugged his shoulders.

Junior seemed to know something, saying, ‘Ah, is it about the other day?’ but he didn’t say anything in the end. What is it!

Anyway, our party entered the magic door one by one.

As the other members went in first and I was about to go in last, Coco, who had been watching silently, suddenly opened her mouth.

“Be careful.”

“Yes?”

I blinked at the sudden words. Coco covered her mouth and let out an eerie laugh.

“Do you know what the darkness of this Lake Kingdom dungeon is made of?”

The darkness of this dungeon?

Was she talking about that unique, sticky, voluminous darkness?

“The Demon King refined the nightmares of the people of this Lake Kingdom to create the monster legions, and the remaining dregs of emotions gathered to create the darkness here. Regret, lingering attachments, and guilt…… such negative emotions.”

Under the wide-brimmed hat, the witch’s eyes flickered like fluorescent lights.

“Your sniper friend is also being consumed by that darkness. And darkness attracts other darkness.”

“What…… does that mean?”

“Simply put, the darkness that has gathered in the dungeon will be drawn to your friend’s darkness.”

Coco smiled maliciously.

“This base camp is an area where darkness cannot invade, but the darkness inside the dungeon…… is a different story.”

“……!”

“You’d better get your mind right, hohoho.”

Damn it.

“No, why are you telling me that now!”

I gritted my teeth and looked at the magic door. The door to the event dungeon was one-way, and there was no way to get out until it was cleared.

‘Damian!’