I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 275

The hand that blocked my fist was wearing a white glove. So, a hand floating in the air was blocking my fist.

“……?!”

In front of my bewildered face, other parts of the body slowly began to form above the hand.

Whirr-

Flies and rats, crows and fog…. All sorts of hideous and black things that suddenly appeared from all directions swarmed and clumped together, forming a wrist and forearm, merging into an upper and lower body, and thus forming the rest of the body parts.

In just a few seconds, a huge man was standing in front of me.

A jet-black coat and a jet-black fedora.

And a white crow mask.

It was a grotesque figure wearing a crow mask with a long beak, like a medieval plague doctor.

The appearance was so distinctive that I could immediately recognize the identity of my opponent.

‘This is a big shot.’

The master of the plague.

Black Plague One.

The one who opens wounds, the tangible pain, the screaming pus….

‘…and all sorts of other disgusting titles, a named monster.’

The Legion Commander of the Plague Legion.

His name is, Raven…!

Swish!

Raven lightly shook his hand, pushing me back with my fist still clenched.

A chilling silence fell between me and the Plague Lord. We stared at each other silently.

Salome, who was alternating between looking at me and Raven with wide eyes, shrieked.

《Hey, Crow! Why are you only coming now! I almost died!》

《Shut up, you harlot.》

Raven growled in a deep, cracked voice.

《You’re supposed to be a Nightmare Legion Commander, yet you’re struggling against a mere human… You should be ashamed in front of the King of Kings.》

《B-But this guy, my mind control doesn’t work on him!》

《What? Your mind control…?》

From within the crow mask, a strange light flickered in the monster’s eyes.

《It seems you have a hidden card, human.》

“I have many, monster.”

As I casually dusted off my hands, Raven’s tone deepened.

《…Ah, I see. Now I recognize your identity.》

“Is that so? You’re quite quick to realize.”

I scoffed at his theatrical tone, but Raven didn’t flinch.

《Ash. Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack. You are the one who opposes the King of Kings.》

“I’m a little embarrassed that I have so many fans. Should I sign something?”

In front of me, who kept mocking him, Raven flapped his coat, scattering terrible evil energy in all directions.

《At this very spot, I shall turn you into a puddle of blood with my power-!》

The black, sticky fog that emanated from Raven’s body instantly covered me.

Blood spurted from the skin of my body that touched the fog, blisters appeared, and tumors and rashes spread like wildfire-

“You’re doing a triple side kick while talking nonsense.”

…It didn’t happen.

As I got annoyed and stirred up my magic, waving my hand, the black fog that had covered my body scattered at once.

The plague that had covered my body was already gone without a trace.

《What……?!》

Startled, Raven spoke in a flustered voice. I brushed away the fog around my face with my hand.

“Ugh, that was a bit disgusting. A mask… no, I wish I had a gas mask or something.”

《You, how on earth…! My plague…!》

“Plague, my foot.”

I smirked and glared at the crow-masked monster.

“You’re not the real body, but a clone, right?”

《……!》

“What the clone is spreading isn’t a real plague, but a fake. It’s phantom pain, right? I know it all.”

I know all about the skills and behavior patterns of named monsters.

‘Raven can create clones that look exactly like him.’

Skill name, [Phantom Pain].

Raven can create clones and appear on multiple battlefields at the same time, spreading the plague over a wide area.

If you only hear this, it sounds like an unbeatable cheat monster.

But every monster has a weakness.

What Raven’s real body spreads is a real plague, but what the clones spread is fake. It’s just an illusion.

If you don’t have a way to distinguish between them, you’ll be helpless against the plague spreading in all directions.

But if you can distinguish them, you can eliminate the clones and pinpoint the location of the real body—and finish off this Nightmare Legion Commander.

‘And the phantom pain spread by the clones is a kind of mental abnormality.’

It’s the same as a succubus’s charm.

My passive skill [Unyielding Commander] can completely negate it.

How is it that you two are a perfect counter to me? This is why the ban pick is important, you know?

《…I don’t know how you figured out my clone technique and my phantom pain.》

Raven’s whole body surged with black energy as he spat out the words with a seething voice.

《There is one thing you have overlooked, opponent of the King of Kings.》

“What is it?”

《Even with the physical strength of this clone alone, it is more than enough to tear you apart and kill you…!》

Raven’s huge body strode closer.

Well, that might be true… In the game, each clone had quite high health and attack power. It seems stronger than me right now.

‘But that’s the case for me, an EX-grade weak commander.’

What about the SSR-grade supreme assassin character?

Flash-!

At the same moment I thought that, Verdandi appeared next to me, emitting a flash of light.

Salome, who was still cowering in the corner, gaped at Verdandi’s sudden appearance.

《W-What?! I closed the passage so it couldn’t be used again, how did you come back…?!》

“Since a while ago, all you’ve been saying is ‘how did you do it,’ ‘how did you do it.’ You guys.”

I sneered. At the same time, I glanced at the dagger that had been tucked into my waist and was now in Verdandi’s hand.

[Flash Knife]. Blink Dagger.

Verdandi is the current owner, but I brought it into this room.

Verdandi used the special ability of this dagger to teleport next to me. It’s a dagger with so many real applications.

“Verdandi, what about your companions?”

“They have all been rescued safely.”

Standing in front of me, aiming her dagger at the monsters. Verdandi recited in a deliberately indifferent tone.

“…Thank you very much, Ash.”

But there was a faint hint of moisture in her voice as she suppressed her emotions.

I chuckled. That’s a relief. They were all rescued.

Salome pointed a finger at Verdandi.

《You, elf…! Are you breaking your alliance with me?!》

“Don’t talk about an alliance, succubus. I was never on your side from the beginning.”

《W-What…?!》

Verdandi spat out fiercely.

“Certainly, as you said, humans and elves may be enemies on the ground. But if we face a common enemy called a monster….”

Verdandi glanced back at me. A faint smile crossed her lips.

“The enemy of my enemy can be my friend.”

I smiled back.

Raven, who had been silently watching us, slowly withdrew his momentum. He completely released his battle stance and spoke.

《…I shall retreat.》

《W-What, what did you say?!》

《Now that the phantom pain is sealed, there is a limit to the combat power of this clone. It is wise to retreat since the chances of winning are low.》

《B-But, but, but! So you’re saying we should tuck our tails and run away?! How embarrassing?!》

《…….》

《In this situation, where is your real body?! Where are all your subordinates?!》

Raven, who had been silently ignoring Salome’s questions, glared at me.

《We will meet again soon, player… Ash.》

“It’s always the third-rate villains who say those lines when they retreat.”

I waved my hand.

“I won’t catch you. Hurry up and run away, you dirty and pathetic thing.”

Crack-!

No sooner had I finished speaking than Raven punched the wall, creating a large hole that opened to the outside.

Swish!

White crow wings sprouted from Raven’s back.

Raven grabbed Salome by the scruff of her neck and flapped his wings, flying out of the building.

It was a pity that I missed the chance to finish off Salome.

But from the moment Raven’s clone appeared here, there was no way for me to stop their retreat.

I also achieved my original purpose here. Let’s not overdo it.

《B-But, but, but! Just you wait, Ash!》

Hanging from Raven’s fingertips in a hideous state, Salome shrieked.

《I will definitely trap you in my dream!》

“You really are like a third-rate villain, not just saying it…”

《You will call me Master Salome, Master Salome! And you will show your belly and obey me! Just you wait-!》

Raven and Salome’s figures disappeared into the distance.

I clicked my tongue. Go ahead and try all you want. My passive skill won’t be undone.

“…….”

I watched the two Nightmare Legion Commanders, now far away, and bit my lip.

The number of encounters with the Nightmare Legion Commanders has increased incomparably compared to before.

From now on, I might have to clash with them not only in boss stages, but everywhere.

The battle with them has officially begun.

***

The elevator passage was closed, so Verdandi and I went down to the first floor through the hole in the wall.

It was a bit high since it was a three-story building with a considerable floor height, but Verdandi held me in her arms and easily lowered me down.

In the hall on the first floor, the rescued NPC prisoners were sitting with blank faces, wrapped in blankets and robes.

My party members were giving them water and dry rations.

“Guys!”

Verdandi shouted and ran quickly. She headed towards a group of elves with pale faces, huddled together with light green hair.

The NPC party. The Holy Grail Expedition.

“Guys, are you okay? Are you coming to your senses?”

“…….”

“It’s me, Verdandi! Do you recognize me? Huh?”

But the elves lowered their hazy gazes and did not react to Verdandi’s words.

Verdandi’s face was devastated. I stood behind her and spoke softly.

“They’ll be okay.”

“Huh?”

“They were trapped in the succubus’s dream for a long time. If they have enough time, they will all slowly recover.”

Even in the game, heroes who were subjected to the mind control of the succubus legion suffered from aftereffects. But they all recovered over time.

They also need time. Time to adjust to the shock of being thrown from a sweet dream into a cold reality….

“…….”

I handed Verdandi a pouch that I had brought with me, as she kept her mouth shut.

“Take this, Verdandi.”

“Yes?”

“It’s sunflower seeds. More keep coming in as I keep looking for them.”

Verdandi accepted the pouch with both hands, bewildered. I gave her a bright smile.

“Share them with your companions.”

“…….”

“Don’t save them. All of them.”

Verdandi slowly took out sunflower seeds from the pouch and put one in each of her companions’ mouths.

The dazed elves began to munch on the sunflower seeds.

Do they have some kind of memory associated with sunflower seeds?

Tears began to fall from their dry eyes.

Life slowly began to return to the eyes of the confused elves.

“Haha, what is this, really.”

Verdandi, who was watching this, rubbed her eyes and put a sunflower seed in her own mouth.

“Everyone looks so stupid….”

Then, like a hamster, she slowly began to nibble on the sunflower seeds, as if a child was savoring a candy.

I stood behind her, watching this scene blankly.

“In our hometown… in Yggdrasil, the capital of the Elven Kingdom, sunflowers bloomed everywhere.”

God Hand, who had approached behind me, spoke quietly.

“It was the largest sunflower production area on the continent. But now it’s all burned down.”

“…….”

“Children ate sunflower seeds, and adults made wine with sunflower honey. In the peaceful days, there were always sunflowers in the scenery of that hometown.”

In short, it’s a food of memories for the elves… a soul food.

Suddenly, I remembered my childhood memories.

When I went to the countryside with my parents during holidays, sunflowers bloomed everywhere along the road.

In the car on the way back home after visiting the countryside, my family would eat sunflower seeds together.

With old pop music playing on the radio. Humming along.

“…….”

It’s a scene from a memory that can’t be turned back now.

Are those elves also seeing such a scene?

I turned around, watching the Holy Grail Expedition eating sunflower seeds, crying and laughing.

I saw the three members of the Shadow Squad, who were awkwardly watching the senior elves.

“Here, you guys too.”

I took out another pouch of sunflower seeds from my pocket.

“You’ve worked hard. Have a snack.”

Bodybag, Burnout, and even God Hand, who were looking around, awkwardly smiled and began to eat sunflower seeds.

I heard from God Hand before that Bodybag and Burnout were born after the fall of the Elven Kingdom. But,

“It’s delicious! It reminds me of the old days!”

Bodybag said with a smile on her chubby cheeks,

Nod nod.

Burnout nodded his head greatly as if agreeing.

Even though the form is a little different, they also have their own memories of sunflowers.

Even if their races and environments are different, just like everyone in the world has memories related to their own soul food.

I smiled and put a seed in my mouth.

It tasted a little different from the ones on Earth, but it wasn’t bad.