I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 99

Crown was dreaming.

The last player.

The final rebel and challenger.

It was a scene of the Third Prince Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack, his dark eyes gleaming, shouting at him.

– ‘Pied Piper’……!

“Hah!”

Catching his breath, Crown opened his eyes.

The safe zone between the 3rd and 4th areas of the Lake Kingdom Dungeon – the base camp – was shrouded in complete darkness.

Only the permanent magic stone embedded in the corner emitted a faint light.

Crown was sitting leaning against the wall under that magic stone.

‘Looks like I dozed off.’

When was the last time I had a good sleep? I can’t even remember.

Crown tried to wipe his tired face with his hand.

But soon, he realized that his face was covered with a ridiculous mask.

“…….”

Crown slowly looked down at his hands, and then at his body.

A black pointed hat, a minstrel’s outfit.

And a smiling mask.

“……Ha.”

How long has it been since I started playing the clown in this ridiculous outfit? I’ve even given up counting.

Suddenly, the scene of the Third Prince Ash shouting at him came back to mind.

‘Pied Piper, was it?’

Pied Piper.

There was such a fable in the Lake Kingdom as well.

When a village was infested with rats, the villagers hired a minstrel to get rid of them.

The minstrel played his pipe, controlling the rats, and drowned them all in the lake.

But the villagers, who were reluctant to pay the minstrel the promised reward,

The angry minstrel played his pipe again, controlling the children of the village and drowning them all in the lake.

‘That’s too much, really.’

Crown clicked his tongue bitterly.

‘It’s too accurate…….’

It was then.

“Crown.”

A mechanical voice was heard.

When Crown turned around, one of the Nightcrawler squad members was standing next to him.

“What’s going on?”

“The demon legion commanders under the Demon King are being summoned. It seems there’s a royal court meeting today.”

Royal court.

A royal court meeting, huh.

Crown’s lips twisted behind the mask.

The Nightcrawler squad member asked slowly.

“Will you attend?”

“……I have to.”

Crown slowly got up. His whole body creaked as if he were a wooden doll.

“After all, I’m the representative of this Lake Kingdom.”

“…….”

“Even if this kingdom has been reduced to a colony of demons.”

Crown staggered out of the base camp and began walking towards the center of the Lake Kingdom.

Towards him, the Nightcrawler squad member uttered in a monotonous voice.

“Be careful.”

“Careful, huh…….”

Crown shook his head.

“It would be nice if something happened, like dying if I’m not careful…….”

***

The very center of the Lake Kingdom.

Here, a huge skyscraper stands tall, shrouded in black fog.

The royal palace.

Once the most bustling and beautiful place in this Lake Kingdom, it is now covered in dripping, sticky darkness.

Crown nonchalantly entered the dark palace.

《It’s the clown.》

《That moron who doesn’t know shame.》

The gatekeeper demons of the palace chuckled at him. But Crown didn’t care and walked through them.

After walking along the corridor for a while, a wide hall unfolded.

The audience chamber.

A space where vassals paid homage to the king.

There were three thrones on the platform, the two on the left and right were horribly destroyed and empty.

Only in the center throne, a blurry shadow-like figure was sitting.

Wearing a brilliant golden crown on its head. Staring silently at the chessboard placed next to the throne.

“…….”

After staring at the shadow for a moment, Crown turned his gaze down to the platform.

Below the platform, a long table was placed, and huge chairs were placed around it.

And nine monsters were seated.

《You’re late, Crown!》

Among the monsters, a werewolf with silver-red mane shouted cheerfully.

《How dare a lowly human be late for a meeting summoned by the Demon King! Don’t you humans even know the concept of shame?》

“A lowly human, huh…….”

Crown muttered quietly and sat at the lowest seat.

“You’re just the scum born from the nightmares of those humans. How funny.”

《What did you say? You insolent-》

《Let it be.》

A deep voice echoed from the throne.

The king had spoken. The werewolf immediately shut his mouth.

《That one, Crown, is a clown. He must mock, ridicule, satirize, joke, and be comical. That’s that human’s job.》

“…….”

《And what Crown said isn’t entirely wrong either. All of you were refined from the pieces of human nightmares.》

The king’s voice became a little stern.

《But it is also I who gives the humans here eternal dreams, and it is I who makes those dreams come true.》

“…….”

《Isn’t that right, Crown?》

“……You are correct.”

《Don’t forget, Crown.》

The king’s voice grew heavier. Crown felt an intangible force descend on his head and shoulders.

《The humans of this Lake Kingdom are all livestock of our army. They are no different from the cows and pigs you used to raise, supplying nightmares when we need them.》

“…….”

《Always be grateful that we have placed such livestock at the meeting table. Do you understand?》

By the time the king finished speaking, Crown was almost face-planted on the table.

Crown silently nodded.

It was not shameful to succumb to the king’s power.

The humiliation he had suffered over the countless years was too great to feel humiliated by such a thing.

《Well, let’s put this matter aside.》

The king changed the subject. The oppressive force that had been pressing down on Crown’s body also disappeared.

《The reason I summoned you legion commanders today, as you know, is because the time of the ‘Great Flood’ has come.》

The king clasped his hands together and looked around at the legion commanders.

《So, one of you will have to lead a legion and invade the human world.》

The king’s gaze carefully scanned each of the legion commanders.

Finally, the king raised his hand, intending to point at the werewolf.

《Since it’s still the ‘early stages’, the lower-ranked werewolves-》

《Your Majesty.》

At that moment.

Someone dared to interrupt the king and raised their hand.

《Please send me.》

《Oh ho.》

The one who raised his hand was a boy with pale skin and dark blue hair. Crown glanced at him.

The 5th ranked Nightmare Legion Commander.

The head of the bloodline. The essence of vampires.

The No Life King. Nosferatu. Dracula-

《Selendion.》

The king recited the boy’s name in a joyful voice.

《That’s unexpected. For you to volunteer as the vanguard. Didn’t you hate stepping forward?》

《…….》

The bloodline legion commander, Selendion, was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

《The humans on the ground killed Oloop.》

《Oh ho.》

《I want to take revenge. Please grant me permission.》

The black spider queen, Oloop.

A powerful figure ranked 6th among the legion commanders, who had died absurdly after being hit by ‘just’ a cannon. And that was during a reconnaissance mission.

It was a futile and sudden end. Even the king had not expected it.

《That’s right! Those guys killed Oloop!》

《How dare those livestock!》

《If it weren’t for the ‘Nameless One’, those trash would have been destroyed long ago!》

The table became noisy when the story of Oloop’s death came up. The king waved his hand.

《Don’t get too excited. Oloop will be resurrected again ‘next time’ anyway.》

Oops, the king who made a sound chuckled.

《Of course, that’s a concept you wouldn’t understand.》

The legion commanders, who did not understand what the ‘next time’ meant, were puzzled.

“…….”

Crown quietly kept his mouth shut.

《Anyway, good. I like it. Above all, it seems like it will be fun.》

The king nodded to Selendion.

《Selendion. I grant you permission to deploy. Start the invasion in four weeks, in human time.》

《I obey the king’s command.》

Selendion, who had risen from his seat, bowed deeply to the king.

《Good, that matter is settled. Next is the issue of the kingdom’s overall nightmare supply-》

It was then, as the king was about to discuss the next agenda.

Thud!

The door to the audience chamber was roughly opened, and a gatekeeper demon rushed in, panting.

《I report, Your Majesty!》

《What is it?》

《The ‘Nameless One’ has invaded……!》

The table began to buzz. Crown also widened his eyes.

The king, letting out a low sigh, asked again.

《Alone?》

《Alone.》

《Well, I guess so. It’s always been like that.》

《Therefore, it would be best to end the meeting here and close the palace gates today…….》

Before the gatekeeper demon could finish his sentence.

Splat-!

The gatekeeper demon’s upper body was shattered into pieces with a flash of light.

A long sword that had flown from afar was embedded in the gatekeeper demon’s back, and at the same time, it exploded with light.

Thud. Thud.

A figure who had calmly walked down the corridor slowly retrieved the sword from the gatekeeper demon’s corpse.

《You!》

《This impious one, even in the royal court!》

The horrified legion commanders all jumped up from their seats.

“Good evening, monster lords.”

What had walked into the demons’ headquarters was a woman wearing tattered robes.

Her white-bleached hair dragged on the floor, and the sword in her hand was so old that it looked like just a lump of iron.

Facing such an opponent, the king uttered in a hollow voice.

《You never tire, continuing this truly meaningless fight. Nameless.》

“Well, yeah. Cleaning up the dust you guys keep piling up is my job.”

The dungeon merchant who roams the bottom of the Lake Kingdom.

The NPC who first guided Ash’s party – Nameless, gripped her sword again.

“It’s not new, but I’ve come to cut you down.”

The king shook his head.

《How long has it been since you started wielding that sword? A hundred years? Five hundred years? No, is it several thousand years?》

“I don’t know. I’ve forgotten it all.”

《No matter how hard you try, your kingdom will not be saved, never. You will just wander this hell for eternity.》

“Then I will fight for eternity.”

Nameless’s old sword slowly began to emit light.

“If that is my mission, then I will do just that.”

The legion commanders who stood in front of Nameless took out their respective weapons.

Both sides entered a state of tension as if they were about to clash at any moment.

Step. Step.

And.

In the midst of such a tense audience chamber, Crown walked out as if nothing had happened.

“…….”

“…….”

Crown and Nameless’s shoulders brushed against each other. But neither of them even glanced at each other.

《Hahahahahahaha!》

Watching that scene, the king burst into laughter.

《The one who has surrendered and the one who resists. Hahaha! I like them all! Because either way, they are excellent materials for nightmares!》

Listening to the Demon King’s maniacal laughter, Crown muttered softly as he left the palace.

“It’s a meaningless resistance. The nightmare will never end.”

With her sword raised forward, Nameless muttered indifferently.

“Even so, someone has to light a lamp.”

Nameless thought. Of the countless people who had fallen to illuminate the darkness of this kingdom.

And the faces of Ash’s party, who were newly challenging it.

“Because someone who comes in following that lamp… can light a new light.”

Whoosh-!

Charging straight at the monsters, Nameless thrust her sword.

The countless duels that had unfolded in the hell beneath the Lake Kingdom were being repeated once again.