I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 757

Why isn’t the stage clearing?

Are there any monsters I haven’t found?

Or could there still be infected soldiers?

I was contemplating whether to conduct another full-scale search of the city when a report came in.

“My lord! A report from the observation team.”

“Hmm?”

“They’ve discovered a hidden airship in the southern sky from Crossroads. It’s not visible to the naked eye, but its location has been confirmed.”

Lukas, looking faintly tense, asked.

“What should we do? Should we shoot it down?”

A premonition struck me.

I took Lukas with me to the hangar.

“Launch La Mancha. We’ll move directly to that location.”

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous? Shouldn’t we examine it after safely shooting it down…?”

“I need to go there myself, even if it’s risky. Escort me, Lukas.”

“Understood.”

So, aboard the airship La Mancha, we flew to the designated location.

The enemy airship was cloaked in a magical camouflage, hidden in the sky, but as we approached, its form became faintly visible to the naked eye. The camouflage wasn’t in good condition to begin with.

“Have you tried communicating?”

“Yes, but there’s no response.”

“Does it show any signs of aggression?”

“None. It’s just floating there.”

Even as La Mancha approached, the unidentified flying object remained still.

I called out the name of the mage I had brought.

“Junior.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Can you dispel the camouflage?”

“Of course.”

Junior lightly waved his staff, and the camouflage around us disappeared…

Revealing a very old, red airship of a foreign design, seemingly hundreds of years old.

“This airship is…”

I murmured.

“It’s a dimensional transport ship of the demon race.”

“What? Then…”

“Yes. It’s Cromwell’s ship.”

The dimensional transport ship that carried the legion from Cromwell’s homeland to this world.

Despite its grand name, the ship was in poor condition. Being a ship built hundreds of years ago, it was old and worn, with scorched outer armor crumbling away.

“Bring La Mancha alongside. I’ll go in and check it out myself.”

We tried communicating several times, but there was no response, so we decided to enter the ship directly.

Torkel, with his shield raised, led the way, followed by Lukas, then me in the center, Junior, and Diarmuidin. Evangelin brought up the rear. We boarded the enemy ship in that order.

“The hatch is open, Your Highness!”

The hatch leading into the ship was wide open.

“I’ll go in first.”

Torkel carefully checked the entrance and went ahead, and we followed slowly behind.

The interior of the ship was more intact than the exterior, but overall, it was heavily marked by fire, as if it had been engulfed in a large blaze.

“They said Cromwell’s legion was defeated by the Black Dragon Legion.”

I muttered, noticing traces of the Black Dragon Legion’s flames—black flames.

“It seems this ship, which was inside the legion’s main base, escaped at that time. But all the crew members died, and it drifted here following the legion commander, who was the highest priority target…”

We entered the deepest part of the bridge.

There were two main pieces of equipment. One was a complexly intertwined magical engine… or something like that.

Junior and Diarmuidin immediately exclaimed in admiration and stuck to the engine.

“My goodness, I’ve never seen a mana reactor like this before. It not only generates power but also has powerful and complex magic engraved on it.”

“It’s not just a mana reactor that makes the ship move. This is an artifact imbued with higher-dimensional magic. It’s like…”

I chimed in.

“…it allows you to travel to another world?”

“That’s a bold imagination, Prince Ash! But it’s entirely possible…!”

No, I was probably right. After all, it was a dimensional transport ship of the demon race. The ship itself had the ability to travel to other worlds. This engine seemed to be the core of that function.

“This is an unexpected find. Let’s take it back and study it.”

I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought for a moment.

A ship that can travel to another world…

‘I need to see Coco.’

Coco of the Severance, a mage stationed at the dungeon base camp.

With her, a master of spatial magic, there might be a way to make good use of this equipment.

And there was another device that caught my eye besides this engine.

“…”

I examined it quietly.

It was like a huge tank… Inside, a huge, caterpillar-like creature was lying limply.

As we approached, the huge caterpillar struggled to raise its body and stared at us.

Knowing what it was, I spoke first.

“It seems to be the origin of the parasitic zombification.”

“…!”

“S-so, this disgusting caterpillar-like thing is… the cause of the zombie outbreak, senior?”

“Strictly speaking, it’s a bit different.”

The setting book that Godeok had read, combined with the experiences that the real Ash had accumulated, created an interpretation.

The red-skinned demon race is a unique species among monsters, with high overall specs but no special abilities.

They are very similar to humans in many ways, such as being able to use the same equipment as humans.

The only special ability they have is Sacrifice.

They can transfer abilities to a target by sacrificing someone.

And this ability is manifested by implanting this parasite arbitrarily.

To gain the ability to eat the opponent, or be eaten by the opponent, to make someone’s life their power, the demon race implants this parasite from the fetal stage…

“Why would they do such a terrible thing?”

I explained to Evangelin, who was puzzled by my explanation.

“To be connected. To be stronger.”

They are drifters from another dimension.

No matter where they go in another world, they are bound to be strangers.

So, to fully accept the knowledge and power passed down from their ancestors. To force the awakening of this special ability called ‘sacrifice,’ where an adult is eaten by a child and passes on everything…

To carry on the karma of their ancestors to their descendants.

“This parasite might have been a kind of flag for them.”

At first, it would have functioned as a flag to connect the will and dreams of their ancestors.

But gradually, it would have lost its original intention and started to be misused in other ways. Looking at the other lower demon species they control…

And finally, this parasite was contaminated and altered by ‘someone.’ Causing a zombie outbreak that infected each other and revived the dead.

‘The flag of people too…’

If it is altered and contaminated, whether by choice or by force. And if that changed flag continues to be passed on.

The person who carries that flag might also turn into something no different from a zombie.

They might become a monster wielding a distorted belief.

I subtly gripped my flag, [Light and Shadow], which was attached to my waist.

What distinguishes people from monsters?

Is it the parasite?

Is it the flag?

Does my flag fully represent the flags of the people connected to me?

“Diarmuidin.”

I asked Diarmuidin.

“Please burn this facility. Cleanly.”

“…Understood.”

Diarmuidin stood in front of the facility with a complex expression, staring at the huge, caterpillar-like parasite for a long time.

Then, he slowly reached out and formed a fire magic spell.

《…》

The parasite’s origin slowly lowered its body and lay on the bottom of the tank.

As if it knew its end had come.

Like a flag that had reached the end of its lifespan, it fell down powerlessly.

The smoke from the burning last parasite stretched long into the winter sky.

We salvaged the enemy ship, which was emitting hazy smoke, and returned to Crossroads.

***

[STAGE 45 – CLEAR!]

[STAGE MVP – Diarmuidin (SSR)]

[Level Up Characters]

– Ash (EX) and 70 others

[Deceased Characters]

– None

[Injured Characters]

– McMillan (N) and 50 others

[Acquired Items]

– Demon Guardian Commander’s Mana Core (SSR): 1

– Flame Giant King’s Mana Core (SSR): 1

– Groom Predator’s Mana Core (SSR): 1

– Decagonal Mana Core (SSR): 1

– Wingless Cicada Lord’s Mana Core (SSR): 1

– Vortex Mana Core (SSR): 1

– Hellhound Gatekeeper’s Mana Core (SR): 5

– Others:

[Acquired Special Equipment]

– Demon Race Dimensional Transport Ship: 1

[Stage clear rewards have been distributed. Please check your inventory.]

– SSR Grade Reward Box: 10

>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE

>> [Next STAGE: To the Final Stage]

***

January 1, 652 of the Imperial Calendar.

The New Year’s morning dawned.

Waking up before dawn, I sat blankly on the bed, watching the dimly brightening east.

‘The day I opened my eyes in this world was…’

It was the last day of February in 649.

The final battle in the tutorial was the very next day, March 1st.

It had been a full 34 months. And I was welcoming my third New Year.

“…”

What was left was two months.

The final five stages.

There really wasn’t much time left. The ending was really close.

‘Can I really…’

Without regrets, without lingering attachments.

Can I move towards a satisfying ending?

Can I really reach the ‘true ending’?

As I was lost in such thoughts…

Bang-!

The door flew open,

“Happy New Year, Your Highness!”

“Yahoo! It’s the New Year’s festival, the New Year’s festival-!”

Recreating the now-familiar scene of New Year’s morning, the shield knight and mage from the main party jumped into the room.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. It was already my third New Year’s morning here, but somehow these guys hadn’t changed.

“Hurry up and get up and give us New Year’s money, New Year’s money~!”

“Yahoo, New Year’s money! Bonus! Incentive!”

Evangelin, holding a ladle, and Junior, holding a pot lid, excitedly banged them against each other, then their eyes widened when they saw me, who was already up.

“Huh? What, senior, you were awake?”

“Ah, it’s true. Isn’t it a New Year’s tradition to watch His Highness the Prince, who just woke up with puffy eyes and messy hair?”

“Since when was that a tradition…?”

I grumbled and got up. My New Year’s contemplation time had been shattered by the little ones’ clamoring for New Year’s money.

“What about the others?”

“They’re all in the dining hall! They’re just waiting for you, senior!”

“We got up early and came all the way here, so we’re hungry, Your Highness… Let’s go eat meatball stew…”

Right. New Year’s morning is definitely hot rice cake soup… no, meatball stew.

“Alright! Let’s go and smash a big bowl of it?!”

“What about the New Year’s money, senior! New Year’s money-!”

Hey, you’re not even bowing, what’s with the New Year’s money talk? I made a New Year’s money joke when I gave them a New Year’s bonus before, and it seems to have become a proper noun.

“I’ll give it to you without you having to beg, so don’t be so impatient.”

“Yay~”

“Exciting~”

Evangelin and Junior, who were walking in front of me, were really excited, constantly clanging their ladles and pot lids together. Their tension was no joke from the morning. Is this the power of the New Year?

As I entered the dining hall, Lukas and Damian, who were waiting, greeted me.

“Did you sleep well, my lord? Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Your Highness!”

“Yes. You’ve worked hard since morning. Happy New Year to you too.”

As I sat down at the set table, the person who came out carrying a large stew pot on a tray was…

“Did you sleep well, Your Highness?”

It was Serenade.

Looking at her smile, which shone like the morning sun, I couldn’t help but smile back. But at the same time, I felt a faint sense of emptiness.

Because my aide and director, Aither, who had always brought the meatball stew on the first day of the previous two New Years… was no longer there.

“…”

After shaking off the thought of him, who had disappeared to fulfill his last role.

I gestured to Serenade.

“Good morning, Serenade! Happy New Year. You sit here and eat with us too.”

***

After breakfast.

While everyone was chatting, drinking warm tea, New Year’s wine, or New Year’s drinks mixed with preserved fruits and milk jam.

“Today is the New Year’s festival, right? What are everyone’s plans?”

It was a casual question, but Lukas answered immediately.

“I have a date with Hecate.”

Pfft-!

Those sitting around us spat out what they were holding in their mouths all at once.

“…”

Watching the spectacle of various drinks spraying like a New Year’s fountain, I had a premonition.

That with the New Year’s festival, ‘Monster Front, Love is in the Air’ would also… now reach its own conclusion. That was the premonition I had.