I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 782

A few days later.

I visited the airship hangar, having received a report that the work was progressing.

“Grandma Coco.”

I approached Coco, who was maneuvering her large frame out of the engine room of the airship La Mancha, and asked,

“How is it going?”

The magic reactor with the dimension-shifting formula engraved on it, which we had recovered from the demon ship, was the focus of her work.

Coco was in charge of installing this on my flagship, La Mancha.

“It’s all done. Now, all that’s left is the final adjustments.”

Coco chuckled and tapped the wall next to the engine room.

“Theoretically, this airship can now enter another dimension. However…”

“However?”

“This dimensional formula magic reactor itself is unstable. It’s extremely old… so the number of times it can jump dimensions won’t be very high. Use it sparingly.”

I didn’t plan to use it much anyway. If it could just cross the dimensional boundary once in a while, that would be sufficient.

“…The end is near.”

Coco looked south, towards the Black Lake, her homeland, the Lake Kingdom.

After a long silence, Coco suddenly asked,

“Are you really not going to defeat the Nameless One?”

“…”

“In a few days, that child will be fully transformed into a monster, but it’s not too late yet. You can still kill her. But if you don’t kill her now, things will truly spiral out of control.”

“…”

“Even so, are you really going to let her complete her transformation and invade the human realm?”

I nodded.

“Because that’s the path I’ve chosen.”

“Instead of a clear solution, you’re choosing an uncertain challenge… are you really going to bet everything on that?”

“…”

I paused at Coco’s question, considering her words.

And I thought about the figure of the Nameless One I had seen with my own eyes a few days ago… becoming the ‘Lake Princess Who Cannot Sleep’.

***

A few days ago.

The Lake Kingdom Dungeon.

Thud!

I planted the World Guardian Front’s flag in the final dungeon.

The occupation battle was over, and while the heroes were cleaning up the surroundings, I stood on high ground and surveyed the entire Lake Kingdom Dungeon.

This was the 10th district dungeon, ‘Cheomseongdae Tower’ [a historical astronomical observatory].

It was a place where they studied constellations while observing the stars in the sky in the Lake Kingdom. Naturally, it was located at the highest point in the 10th district.

“Haa…”

As I exhaled, white breath scattered in the cold air.

I quietly observed the entire dungeon, where light was scattered like salt.

Now, except for the 10th district’s final dungeon, ‘The Royal Castle,’ the occupation of all areas in the 10th district was complete.

I recovered the remaining soul fragments of the Nameless One from the occupied areas. I looked at her soul fragments swirling in my hand.

“…”

And then, I looked at the last area that had not yet been occupied… towards the Royal Castle.

In front of the Royal Castle, in the center of the fountain plaza, a form flickering with darkness could be seen.

Inside that huge cocoon of darkness, the Nameless One would be transforming into the ‘Lake Princess Who Cannot Sleep’.

In the game, I had attacked her before she completed her metamorphosis and descended into the world as a monster, and I had fought the final battle with her inside the final dungeon, the Royal Castle.

But this time, I intended to let her be.

To let her complete her metamorphosis, transform completely into a monster, and walk out of the dungeon herself to end the human realm.

I planned to leave her alone and watch.

“My lord.”

At the voice, I turned around, and Lucas, who was standing next to me and looking at the Royal Castle, spoke with a serious face.

“We can cut her down now.”

“…”

“If you give the order, I will end it with my own hands.”

“No.”

I turned around.

“We’re going back. We’ll leave the Nameless One alone.”

“But, my lord.”

“We’ve always chosen the difficult path instead of the easy one, haven’t we?”

As I gathered the soul fragments of the Nameless One into my arms, I firmly declared,

“There’s only one reason for that. Because the difficult path was the more righteous one.”

“…”

“Trust me and follow me, Lucas.”

After looking at me quietly for a moment, Lucas slowly lowered his head.

“Anytime, anywhere… I have been, and I will be.”

***

Present.

“Instead of a clear solution, you’re choosing an uncertain challenge… are you going to bet everything on that?”

I smiled at Coco, who asked that.

“Because the solution that the world has already given up on is not the right answer that my soul can accept.”

“…!”

“For the result I truly desire, I will pioneer a completely new path if necessary.”

To a path that no one has ever taken, a path that no one has ever tried to take.

I will move forward on that one path.

“This ship will be a great help in making that path. Thank you, Grandma Coco.”

“…”

Coco, who had been looking at me quietly, eventually smiled wryly and nodded.

“I’m counting on you. Please, save the Nameless One… our princess.”

I didn’t bother to answer.

Because it was something I would prove with results anyway.

***

In my remaining time, I opened the last reward boxes.

Most of the boxes contained trivial magic cores or unremarkable equipment, but there were a few interesting ones.

I chose the new equipment and headed east of Crossroads.

In this wasteland, which had been charred black during the Black Dragon invasion, a huge pirate ship, the ‘Blue Pearl,’ was docked alone.

The Blue Pearl, which was also the base of the merfolk soldiers, was currently very busy.

Flap! Flap!

Griffons scattering feathers and people from the Vermillion Kingdom who were handling them were busy moving cargo.

Since the ‘La Mancha,’ which was originally used as the flagship of the Sky Knights, was assigned a different role in this final battle, they were moving to the only remaining airship, the ‘Blue Pearl’.

“Ash!”

Mikhail, who had been gliding down from the sky on his griffin, landed smoothly in front of me.

“Mikhail.”

I greeted him and gestured towards the Blue Pearl.

“How’s the new ship? Is it uncomfortable?”

“The pirate… no, ahem. The merfolk are cooperative, so it’s not bad. It’s not as modern as the La Mancha, but the deck is wide, so it’s good for griffons to take off and land.”

After asking about the current situation and improvements, I handed Mikhail the gift I had brought.

“Take this. It’s a saddle, and it seems like it would suit you best in our front lines.”

Mikhail’s eyes widened as he received the saddle.

“This is…”

It was an antique saddle, with a style slightly different from those here, as if it had been made in the Eastern Continent.

The name of the equipment was [Ambition Reaches a Thousand Miles].

It meant ‘the heart is a thousand miles away,’ and it was also a phrase used to express the mindset of a famous horse [a reference to a Chinese idiom].

It was an SSR-grade saddle, and it was rare equipment that gave effects to mounts. Basically, the mount wearing the saddle would not tire easily…

And by accumulating the saved stamina, it could gain a momentary acceleration once a day.

In short, it was a booster!

It would be useful for Mikhail, who was an aerial knight.

“This is a great masterpiece.”

Mikhail, who knew at a glance how good this equipment was, since he rode a griffin all day, was noticeably delighted.

“I’ll use it well, Ash. Thank you so much.”

I patted Mikhail on the shoulder and headed inside the Blue Pearl.

“Then, prepare well. I have some business inside.”

“Okay. See you later.”

Inside the Blue Pearl.

King Poseidon and the Rompeller siblings were together in the bridge.

“Ah, Prince Ash.”

King Poseidon greeted me with a smile as I entered.

“Welcome.”

“King Poseidon. And Rompellers. Good afternoon.”

As I greeted them, I noticed that King Poseidon’s eyes had regained their original deep blue color instead of the golden color of his authority.

And I also saw the golden color faintly emanating from the eyes of the Rompeller siblings, who were standing awkwardly.

“I just finished transferring the remaining power of my race’s god to these two.”

After transferring even his last power.

His once bright blue hair had faded to a light sky blue, and he had become a truly gaunt and emaciated figure, but King Poseidon seemed at peace.

“I gave it to young people who can use the power better, but of course, I don’t intend to withdraw from the front lines completely. I will do my best until the final battle.”

“I’m counting on you.”

After showing respect to King Poseidon, I faced the Rompeller siblings.

“I’m counting on you two as well.”

The Rompeller siblings, who had been looking at each other, scratched their heads at the same time, looking embarrassed.

“It seems like our joining was late compared to the other races…”

“Our contribution to the front lines is low, and our proficiency in fighting monsters is not high either. I’m worried that we’re just a burden.”

They were a bit discouraged because their joining the front lines was late, and they had even crashed once against the Apocalypse Knights in the previous battle. Moreover, they had accepted the power of an unfamiliar race’s god.

I approached them and patted them on the shoulders.

“Whether you join quickly or late, whether you fight well or make a few mistakes… does it really matter that much? What’s important is that we’re all fighting together with one heart.”

Everyone who had been at odds and fighting are now shoulder to shoulder, looking in the same direction.

Every country and every race in this world with free will, together.

This alone gives this front line enough value. I was truly grateful that they were here.

“King Poseidon will teach you how to handle the power of the race’s god…”

I placed the equipment I had brought on the bridge table.

“I brought some gifts.”

“This is…?”

The first thing I took out was a large anchor.

This skillfully crafted steel structure was clearly an anchor, but it had a handle attached so that a person could grab and swing it, and it was enchanted to reduce the weight for the user when held by the handle.

In other words, the user could swing it lightly, but the actual weight would be applied to the opponent when hit.

The name of the equipment was [The Weight of the Sea].

It was classified as an SSR-grade blunt weapon.

The female Rompeller, who was in charge of close combat among the Rompeller siblings, made an ‘ooh’ sound and grabbed the anchor.

“Ooh, this feels good…!”

I explained to her as she took a stance with the anchor like a baseball batter.

“It’s okay to use it as a melee weapon, but this anchor has an interesting special effect… the moment the anchor touches the ground, it allows the user’s ship to ‘anchor’ immediately.”

The female Rompeller tilted her head.

“Huh? What kind of effect is that?”

“In a situation where the ship is about to crash, if you throw this anchor to the ground at the right time?”

“…!”

“The ship will be forcibly ‘anchored’ in place, and you can avoid the crash.”

The faces of the twin pirates lit up.

They had experienced a hasty crash landing in the previous battle, so they seemed very happy with this kind of safety device.

“Where did you get this kind of equipment?! The land people have so many amazing things! Thank you, Prince Ash!”

The female Rompeller rushed at me and tried to shower me with kisses.

After barely stopping the rough skinship typical of sailors, I handed the next piece of equipment to the male Rompeller.

“Here, and this is for you.”

“This is…?”

What I handed to the male Rompeller was a multi-barreled harpoon gun.

It looked like a large cannon with three harpoons loaded, and its effect was extremely simple. It shot harpoons to bind the opponent.

However, its special effect was powerful.

“An enemy hit by this harpoon can never escape from this harpoon until you retrieve it.”

“…!”

It was equipment for binding and restricting the movement of the opponent.

The name was [The Sea’s Obsession]. It was an SSR-grade throwing weapon.

I was thinking of placing it on the ramparts, but it seemed like the pirates would handle it well, so I decided to give it to them. Connecting harpoons between ships and engaging in close combat was their specialty…

“To give us such a delicious weapon…!”

The male Rompeller was moved and suddenly started rummaging through a treasure chest inside the bridge, saying he would give me a gift too.

After politely declining the jewel-encrusted skulls he was taking out, I took out one last small piece of equipment.

“And… I’d like to entrust this ring to you for this battle.”

As soon as they saw the equipment, they seemed to have sensed the dangerous power within it.

The two Rompellers gasped at the same time.

“Th, this is…?!”

What I had placed on the table was the [Kraken’s Ring].

It was a special piece of equipment that could summon the strongest sea monster, the Kraken.

“I’ve tamed it well, so if you summon it, it will fight well against the monsters. I’m lending it to you only for this defense battle, so use it well and return it…”

I stopped talking.

“It’s mine!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s mine!”

The two Rompellers rushed at each other to get the ring, and then they started punching each other and rolling around on the floor.

“Of course, I, the older sister, should have this pretty ring!”

“What nonsense! Of course, I, the older brother, should have the good stuff!”

Thump, bang…

The twin siblings, who had fallen while punching each other, rolled out of the bridge.

“Sigh.”

I sighed, picked up the ring again, and handed it to King Poseidon, who was chuckling next to me.

“I’m counting on you, King Poseidon.”

“Trust me.”