◈ 100. [Evil Side]
Crown was dreaming in Hell.
last player.
The last traitor and challenger.
It was a scene in which 3rd Prince Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack shouted at himself with his black eyes shining.
– ‘Pied Piper’… … !
“omg!”
Swallowing his breath, Crown opened his eyes.
The safe base between the 3rd and 4th districts of the Lake Kingdom Dungeon – the base camp was covered in complete darkness.
Only the permanent magic stone embedded in the corner was shedding dim light.
Crown was sitting under the magic stone, leaning against the wall.
‘Looks like he fell asleep.’
When was the last time you slept soundly? I don’t even remember.
Crown tried to run his hand down his tired face.
But then he realized that his face was covered with a funny mask.
“… .”
Crown slowly drew her hands and looked down at her body.
A bard attire with a black cone hat.
and a smiling mask.
“… under.”
How long had it been since I played the role of a clown in these unfunny clothes. I even gave up counting.
Suddenly, the scene of Ash, the third prince, shouting at him came to mind again.
‘The Pied Piper?’
piper man.
There was a fable like that in the Lake Kingdom.
When a village was infested with rats, the villagers hired a bard to get rid of the rats.
The bard blew the flute to control the rats and drowned them all in the lake.
However, the villagers, who were short on money, did not pay the price they promised to the bard.
Enraged, the minstrel blew the flute again and manipulated the village children into drowning them all in the lake.
‘It’s too much, really.’
Crown clicked his tongue bitterly.
‘You’re too precise… … .’
It was then.
“Crown.”
An inorganic voice was heard.
Crown looked back and saw one of the Nightcrawlers standing by.
“What’s going on?”
“The corps commanders under the Demon King are being summoned. It looks like there is a meeting today.”
before.
Pre-meeting d.
Inside the mask, Crown’s mouth twisted.
The Nightcrawler unit asked slowly.
“Are you going to attend?”
“… I have to go.”
Crown rose slowly. The joints all over his body creaked as if he had become a wooden doll.
“Anyway, I’m the spokesperson for the Lake Kingdom here.”
“… .”
“Even if this kingdom has fallen into a demonic colony.”
Crown stumbled out of the base camp and started walking towards the center of the Lake Kingdom.
Towards him, the Nightcrawler corps member spat out in an incoherent voice.
“Please be careful.”
“Be careful… .”
Crown shook his head.
“It would be nice if something like death would happen if you weren’t careful… .”
***
The very center of the Lake Kingdom.
Here, a huge soaring skyscraper stands tall, shrouded in black fog.
royal.
This place, which was once the most prosperous and beautiful place in the Lake Kingdom, is now covered with a dripping, soggy darkness.
The Crown calmly entered the palace covered in darkness.
“He’s a clown.”
“That idiot who doesn’t know shame.”
The palace’s gatekeeper demons giggled when they saw him. But Crown didn’t care and walked through.
After walking along the corridor for some time, a wide hall opened up.
audience room.
It was a space for servants to meet the king.
There were three thrones on the platform, but the two thrones on the right and left were disfigured and empty.
Only on the throne in the middle sat a figure like a vague shadow.
Wearing a golden crown on top of his head. While staring at the chessboard next to the throne.
“… .”
After staring at the shadow for a moment, Crown finally turned her gaze down the platform.
Beneath the platform was a long table and huge chairs.
And nine monsters were seated.
“It’s too late, Crown!”
shouted a werewolf with a silver-red mane among the monsters cheerfully.
《How dare you, a lowly human being, be late for the meeting convened by the demon king! Don’t you humans even know the concept of shame?”
“A lowly human… .”
Crown muttered lowly and sat in the last seat.
“The dregs born from the nightmares of those humans. That’s funny.”
“what? This cheeky-”
“Leave it alone.”
A deep voice rang from the throne.
The king opened his mouth. The werewolf immediately shut up.
“That Crown is a clown. It should be ridiculed, caricatured, satirized, ridiculed, and ridiculed. That’s that person’s main job.》
“… .”
“And it wasn’t that Crown was completely wrong. Because all of you collected human nightmares and refined them from fragments.”
The king’s voice became a bit harsh.
《However, it is burden that enables the people here to dream of eternal immortality, and also makes that dream come true.》
“… .”
《Isn’t that right, Crown?》
“… You are right.”
《Don’t forget the crown.》
The king’s voice grew heavier. Crown felt an intangible power descend upon his head and shoulders.
“All humans in the Lake Kingdom are livestock for our army. supplying nightmares when we need them… … That it is no different from the cows and pigs you raised.”
“… .”
“Always be grateful for bringing such livestock to the meeting table. Do you understand?”
When the king finished speaking, the crown was almost all over the top of the table.
Crown silently nodded.
There was no shame in submitting before the power of the king.
The humiliation suffered over the past innocent years was too great to be humiliated by just this.
《Now, let’s end this story at this point.》
The king changed the topic. The pressure that weighed down Crown’s body also disappeared.
《I know the reason why you summoned your corps commanders today- but it is because the time of the ‘great flood’ has arrived.》
The king looked back at the corps commanders, wearing a pod.
“So one of you will have to lead an army and invade the human world.” The
king’s gaze followed the army commanders one by one.
Then the king raised his hand and tried to point at the werewolf.
《As expected, it is still in the ‘early stage’, so the low-ranking Rang tribe-》
《Your Majesty.》
At that time.
Someone dared to interrupt the king and raise his hand.
“Please let me go.”
“Oh.”
The one who raised his hand was a pale-skinned boy with dark blue hair. Crown glanced over there.
5th in the ranks of the Nightmare Corps Commander.
The head of the clan. Essence of vampires.
No Life King. Nosferatu. Dracula-
《Celendion.》
The king recited the boy’s name in a joyful voice.
“It is surprising. Do you claim to be the vanguard? Didn’t you hate coming out?”
“… .]
Selendion, the kinsman’s commander, was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.
《The humans on the ground killed Orlob.》
《Ahhhh.》
《I want to take revenge. Please forgive me.”
Orlop, the Black Spider Queen.
He was the 6th strongman in the ranks of the corps commander, but he was ‘only’ killed by a cannonball. Even during reconnaissance operations.
It was a hopeless and sudden end. Even the king did not expect it.
“that’s right! They killed Orlop!]
《How dare you talk about livestock!》
《If it weren’t for the ‘nameless man’, the scum would have perished long ago!]
As the story of Orlop’s death came out, the table became noisy. The king waved his hand.
“Don’t get too excited. Orlob will come back to life ‘next time’ anyway.”
The king gave a chuckle and laughed.
《Of course, this is a concept you don’t understand.》
The corps commanders, not understanding what the ‘next’ meant, were confused.
“… .”
Crown was silent.
“Anyway, good. I like it. More than anything, it looks like fun.”
The king nodded to Celendion.
《Celendion. allow departure Initiate the invasion in 4 weeks ground time.]
《I accept the king’s command.》
Selendion stood up from his seat and bowed respectfully towards the king.
“Okay, this item is done. Next is the nightmare supply problem for the entire kingdom- >
It was then that the king was about to discuss the next issue.
thud!
The door to the throne room was thrown open, and one of the gatekeeper demons burst in.
《Hey, Your Majesty!》
《What’s going on?》
《The ‘nameless man’ has invaded… … !]
The table started to hum. Crown also widened his eyes.
The king let out a small sigh and asked again.
《Single man?》
《Single man.》
《So I guess. It’s always been that way.”
… .》
It was before the gatekeeper devil could even conclude his words.
Pucak-!
The upper body of the gatekeeper demon shattered with a flash of light.
A longsword flew in from afar and pierced the back of the gatekeeper devil, causing the light to explode at the same time.
that buck that buck
Inyoung, who calmly walked down the hallway, slowly retrieved the sword from the corpse of the guardian demon.
《You bastard!》
《This ungodly man, even before the palace!》
The commanders of the flagship corps all spurned their seats and stood up.
“Good night monsters.”
It was a woman wearing a ragged robe that walked into the demons’ headquarters.
His bleached white hair dragged along the floor, and the sword in his hand was so worn out that it looked like a piece of iron.
The king spat out in despair at such an opponent.
“You are fighting a truly meaningless fight without getting tired. Anonymous.”
“What is it? Because it’s my job to clean up your dust that accumulates no matter how much you wipe it off.”
A dungeon merchant wandering the bottom of the Lake Kingdom.
The NPC-nameless who guided Ash and his party in the first place fixed the sword.
“It’s new, but I’ve come to punish you.”
The king shook his head.
“How many years have passed since you started wielding that sword? a hundred years? five hundred years? How many thousand years?”
“I don’t know. I forgot everything.”
“No matter how hard you try, your kingdom will never be saved. You just wander through this hell for eternity.”
“Then I will fight for eternity.”
The nameless old sword began to emit light slowly.
“If that is my mission, I will do it.”
The corps commanders who blocked the front of such obscurity took out their respective weapons.
The two sides entered a state of tension as if they would collide at any moment.
Tboob. Tboob.
and.
Crown walked out of the audience room in such a state of war as if nothing had happened.
“… .”
“… .”
The shoulders of Crown and Nameless passed each other. However, the two did not even look at each other.
《Ha ha ha ha ha ha!》
The king smiled at the sight.
《The one who succumbs and the one who resists. ha ha ha! I like them all! Either way, it’s a great nightmare material!]
The crown murmured softly as they left the castle while listening to the demon king’s mad light.
“It is a pointless resistance. Nightmares never end.”
With the sword held forward, Moo-myeong indifferently shook his brain.
“Even so, someone has to light the lamp.”
Nameless thought of the countless people who had perished to light the darkness of this kingdom.
And the faces of Ash and the others who are taking on a new challenge.
“Someone who followed the lamp… … Because it can shine a new light.”
Taat-!
As he charged head-on at the monsters, Nameless stabbed his sword.
The countless duels in the hell below the Lake Kingdom were being repeated once more.
