I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 307

After receiving the equipment, Kellybay and Hannibal declared a week-long vacation, refusing additional requests and disappearing somewhere.

My main party and I re-entered the dungeon to join the rest of the party members who were exploring and finish the search.

So, we teleported back into the [Laboratory] dungeon, but…

“Hey guys, we’re he-“

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Flames crackled and roared.

“…?”

Wh-what?

The [Laboratory] was already in ruins, with flames blazing everywhere.

The other 20 or so party members were sitting in the safe zone, looking dazed, covered in soot and ash.

“What in the world happened?”

As I muttered in confusion, Verdandi trudged towards me, her once-shiny, light-green hair singed and disheveled.

“Ash… you’re here…?”

“No, Verdandi, what on earth happened?”

“…I’ll tell you from the beginning.”

Verdandi explained with a face that looked like she had lost everything.

“We received information that the Holy Grail we were looking for was in this laboratory dungeon.”

“Ah, so that’s why you volunteered to search.”

“Yes. It was the most promising lead in the last 100 years of searching. So, we were thoroughly searching every corner of the lab when…”

Verdandi held out something in her hand.

It was a leaf, a vibrant green even in this fiery hell.

“It’s a leaf from our World Tree. It’s confirmed that this facility was researching it.”

The Holy Grail expedition was searching for the Holy Grail to revive the World Tree, or so they said.

The Holy Grail itself is deeply connected to the World Tree.

“We were certain that the Holy Grail was here…”

“I see.”

But why is this place a sea of fire?

“So, with joyful hearts, we were about to go deeper inside.”

Verdandi turned her resentful gaze to the side.

Right next to her, Dusk Bringer was whistling, hands clasped behind his head, pretending not to notice.

“That dragon… suddenly breathed fire… sweeping through the lab, collapsing the building and causing a fire… we had no choice but to flee here.”

“…Breath? You mean dragon breath?”

That beam-like thing that comes out of his mouth? You can do that too? More importantly, why did you shoot it?

As I stared at him, dumbfounded, Dusk Bringer cleared his throat and made an excuse.

“Well, some remaining trolls were hiding and suddenly ambushed me. I was so surprised that I hiccuped.”

“…Hiccups make you breathe fire?”

“Sometimes?”

Dusk Bringer smiled coolly. This isn’t the time to be posing!

Verdandi looked like she wanted to draw her sword and attack Dusk Bringer right away, but she was trembling and holding back, knowing the objective difference in combat power.

I patted Verdandi’s shoulder.

“Just wait a bit. We can go back inside and explore again after the fire goes out-“

No sooner had I spoken than-

BOOM-!

A massive explosion erupted from the laboratory, accompanied by a deafening roar.

Along with a tremendous heatwave, debris from the facility rained down like hail.

Evangeline, who had rushed in front of us, deployed her shield.

Clang-!

Glacier, the ice spirit residing in the shield, spun around and deployed an ice barrier along the shield’s surface, increasing the shield’s size tenfold.

Thud, thud, thud!

The massive shield blocked all the falling debris from the lab. Evangeline cheered, her face flushed with excitement.

“Whoa! My new shield is awesome!”

Yeah, it is awesome! But read the room!

The unnecessarily clean and clear ice shield showed the scene beyond like a transparent glass, and the sight of the laboratory being reduced to dust in the explosion was clearly visible…

“……”

Thump.

Verdandi knelt on the ground.

She muttered in despair, her spirit broken.

“It’s all over…”

“N-no, Verdandi. It’s not all over…”

“Yes, it is. It’s the end of our 100 years of effort, the end of our race’s future, everything…”

The World Tree leaf in her hand fluttered pathetically, like the last leaf.

Hugging it to her chest, Verdandi let out a hollow laugh, her mind blank.

“It’s all over! It’s over! The elves are doomed! Accept the end-!”

“Hey, snap out of it, Verdandi!”

I quickly took out some emergency sunflower seeds (?) from my pocket and popped them into Verdandi’s mouth.

Verdandi was about to completely lose it and start singing an elven lament, so I finally told her the other information.

“The Holy Grail is somewhere else!”

Verdandi’s hazy eyes sharpened.

She quickly chewed and swallowed the sunflower seeds in her mouth and asked again.

“Huh?”

“The Holy Grail isn’t here. I know where it is.”

In the game, it was a guaranteed drop item, so I knew the location for sure. The timing was awkward, so I couldn’t tell her…

“The 8th District Magic Tower. It’s there.”

The 8th District Dungeon [Magic Tower].

It’s like the higher tech tree of this laboratory. You could say it’s like the relationship between a university and a graduate school.

Verdandi, who was staring up at me with wide eyes, licked the sunflower seed fragments from her lips and asked hesitantly.

“You’re not lying to me, are you…?”

“No, I’m not. Absolutely not. If it’s not there, I’ll take full responsibility.”

“Responsibility…? What kind of responsibility…?”

“I’ll make sure your race can survive even without the Holy Grail. So, really! Don’t worry.”

Well, since the Holy Grail will actually appear there, it can’t be called an empty promise.

Then, Verdandi cautiously extended her hand.

“Is it a promise?”

“Yeah, yeah. A promise.”

I took her hand and shook it. Verdandi gripped my hand tightly and shook it up and down.

Somehow, the situation was resolved, and there was no reason to stay in the ruined dungeon, so I ordered a retreat.

While the other party members disappeared one by one through the teleport gate, I went in front of Dusk Bringer and frowned.

“Your Grace… why did you suddenly breathe fire and blow up the entire dungeon…?”

If it’s ruined to this extent, the dungeon’s function will be shut down. The monsters that were refilled every season won’t be replenished either.

One farming spot has disappeared for nothing. What is this, right after your dungeon debut?

Then, Dusk Bringer shrugged nonchalantly.

“I apologize. But there was a reason to bury this place.”

“Huh? The breath… it wasn’t a mistake?”

“Do you take me for a fool who cannot control his own breath?”

Dusk Bringer grinned, showing his sharp, shark-like teeth, and took something out of his pocket.

“Do you know what this is?”

It was a small, black… thorn branch.

I took the branch and blinked in confusion. What is this?

“The guardian tree of humanity. The black thorn tree that has been with the empire since its founding. A branch of ‘Everblack’.”

“Huh?”

“I found it in this laboratory. That’s why I blew it up so that others couldn’t dig any deeper.”

I was shocked and examined the branch closely.

Come to think of it, it does look like the huge tree I saw in the imperial audience hall…?

“But, why is this here?”

This tree, which is connected to the origin of the Everblack Empire.

Why is it found in the ruins of the Lake Kingdom, located at the southernmost part of the world, hundreds of years ago…?

“Well. It would be good to think about it.”

Dusk Bringer shrugged and headed for the teleport gate.

“It seems the secrets held by this Lake Kingdom… are deeper than we thought.”

Flash!

She disappeared into the gate first, and I stood there blankly.

‘There’s a connection.’

Everything is connected.

Everything we encounter on the path to the true ending is connected in some way.

I had a hunch. Just like in the game, simply stopping monsters and clearing dungeons wouldn’t lead to the true ending.

The truth hidden behind this world… I can only grasp it after I uncover it.

But, how?

How…?

***

The free exploration was over.

The exploration itself was very smooth because it was an unprecedented large-scale party of 25 people. But the problem is.

‘Because the experience points were split N ways… I didn’t get much…’

Even though I’m already at level 49, the experience points needed to reach level 50 are a lot.

We defeated a lot of monsters today and earned a lot of experience points, but since it was divided among 25 people, it wasn’t enough for me to level up.

So, my awakening was pushed back to the next time… There was such a flaw in operating a large-scale party.

‘I want to awaken quickly and use my ultimate skills…’

I’m also curious about what kind of ultimate skill I’ll get.

Well, let’s not be impatient and safely gain experience. Then, I’ll be level 50 too.

“Ah.”

After returning to Crossroads from the dungeon and coming out to the backyard of the lord’s mansion.

Something cold touched my cheek. Surprised, I looked up and saw white snowflakes falling.

“It’s snowing.”

I muttered softly and felt the snowflakes.

The fluffy snowflakes fell, painting the sky white, and then lightly piled up, turning the ground white as well.

Even with so little snow, the young party members were already starting a snowball fight.

Seeing the children laughing and throwing snowballs at each other, I couldn’t help but smile. They don’t seem tired even after going to the dungeon.

“It’s still late autumn, but the first snow is early this year.”

Lucas, who was watching the sky with me, muttered calmly. White breath escaped from the knight’s lips.

“Winter will come soon.”

“Yeah, winter is coming.”

The season when I first stepped into this world.

And- the season when this world will change drastically.

The first year since I fell into this world is coming to an end.

Soon, the second year of the campaign will begin.

***

[Free Exploration Ended!]

[Leveled Up Characters]

>Sub Party 1

– Tuesday (R) Lv.45 (↑1)

– Wednesday (R) Lv.45 (↑1)

– Becky (R) Lv.45 (↑1)

– Ontherock (R) Lv.43 (↑1)

>Sub Party 2

– God Hand (SR) Lv.47 (↑1)

– Bodybag (R) Lv.42 (↑1)

– Burnout (SR) Lv.41 (↑1)

– Lily (R) Lv.37 (↑1)

– Margherita (R) Lv.40 (↑1)

[Deceased and Injured Characters]

– None

[Acquired Equipment]

– Cross Family Spear 改 – Ifrit Edition (SSR)

– Cross Family Shield 改 – Glacier Edition (SSR)

[Acquired Items]

– Summon Scroll: Magic Turret

– Standard High-Grade Magic Core (SR): 5

– Standard High-Grade Magic Core (R): 10

– Troll Legion Fluid: 40

– Troll Legion Magic Stone: 52

***

A few days later.

With the next stage not far away, I was establishing a defense plan and checking the soldiers’ weapons and equipment for the last time when.

“Your Highness!”

Serenade came rushing into my mansion, panting.

A large eagle was perched lightly on her shoulder, glaring at us with sharp eyes.

It was a messenger eagle used by the Winter Silver Merchant Guild to exchange information at high speed over long distances. It’s my first time seeing one in person.

And the only information that Serenade would deliver to me so urgently with a messenger eagle is probably just one thing.

Serenade barely caught her breath and shouted to me.

“There’s news that the Imperial 1st Legion and the Imperial Capital Defense Force have clashed in the central part of the continent!”

The party members who were listening gasped in unison, and I clenched my fist.

The Imperial 1st Legion, which is in charge of the western front of the Everblack Empire and is a border guard unit.

The Imperial Capital Defense Force, which is a standing army directly under the Imperial Family and is in charge of the outer defense of the Imperial Capital New Terra.

The fact that these two have clashed means, in other words.

“And on the same day, His Highness Prince Larc and His Highness Prince Fernandes declared war on each other…!”

A bloody feud.

The Everblack Imperial Family’s civil war has finally begun.