Episode 176
[???Tier Entering the Tower of Monsters and Hunters…]
As soon as Maria appeared in the world inside the tower, a message came to mind.
rShall we sing a song, saint?”]
[The Lord of Heroes blesses the player ‘Maria’ and exercises the influence of an overlord…11
With a very familiar and playful voice.
That’s why Maria smiled without saying a word.
At the same time, a gentle hand that could not be compared to anything else placed a mask on Mary’s face.
It was a mask of all things made of indescribable and powerful power.
[The Lord of Heroes temporarily grants the skill 《Masquerade》 to player ‘Maria’!] The
true power of the King of Heroes that the saintess did not know before, as well as the identity of the trick he has been hiding until now.
The literal magic of being able to become anything on stage.
It was an ability that went far beyond the common sense and system of this game.
Before she knew it, she had left behind the “clown’s mask” that had been placed on Saint Mary’s face and snapped her fingers.
The pure white heavy armor she had been wearing until just moments ago had now been reborn as a black and white business suit.
A neat black suit. At the same time, the yellow accented tie was combined to show off the golden color scheme.
《Vampire Lord’s Business Suit “Black Gold”》.
Maria snapped her fingers again, and before she knew it, a sword was in her hand.
It was the sword of someone who longed for defeat.
The enemies in the tower appeared towards Maria, who was wearing a dark suit and holding a sword.
On the ruins piled up with endless piles of ashes and bricks, as if looking at a destroyed world.
“We are soldiers Stand or Die.”]
“I solemnly swear to find and hunt every last monster that threatens the human world.”]
[Force: Slayer is participating! ]
Tower Force Slayer.
Hunters who do not die even after eons and repeat the same thing endlessly.
“…Gretel.”
However, Maria’s expression looking at them was not that of a player facing an enemy.
Rather, it was stained with sadness and sympathy that could not be compared to anything else.
As if looking at a lamb that refuses salvation0].
A saint wearing the mask of “The Clown Who Never Smiles” was facing a group of hunters who had sacrificed their all for humans.
They too were beings born of human desire. However, they are the ones who failed to become heroes and instead became monsters.
“I don’t want to fight with you.”
Maria answered in front of Master Slayer ‘Gretel’.
“Not even your brother would want that.”
Thinking of Lord Mikhail, the blood lord who made an apostolic contract with Maria and who is still watching over her.
However, without paying attention to her words, the Slayers, led by Gretel, kicked the ground in unison and moved.
The barrel of a double barrel burst into flames from within the hem of Chilhok’s coat.
The 12-gauge buckshot iron beads containing the magic power of the Red Flame were scattered, and that was just the beginning.
The essence of murder accumulated by humans. All types of firearms began to be fired at the ‘monster’ there.
Gunshots were ringing out endlessly.
Toward the ‘saint of heroes’ who is a vampire with the name of a saint and does not love humans.
Sigh!
However, when countless bullets rained down and the Slayers closed the distance towards Maria, Maria’s form collapsed.
Countless flocks of bats took off, flapping their wings, and before we knew it, the shadows wriggling among the slayers took on the shape of human silhouettes.
There were ruthless eyes there, devoid of any trace of mercy or kindness.
At the same time, the sword in her hand swung.
Dokgogugeom.
The sword was swung, and at the same time, eight phantoms rushed at Maria’s feet and struck down as nine swords.
Burning blood like the setting sun was scattered along the shadow of the swinging blade.
An explosion of blood.
Before we knew it, Maria’s blonde hair, which should have shined as brightly as gold, was stained with a darker shade of blood than anything else.
Her jade-colored eyes were the same, as were the fangs peeking out between her blood-red lips.
“…look at the reflection of the pool of blood at your feet.”
Master Slayer Gretel sneered at the saint who was slaughtering the Slayers, turning them into ashes.
Maria lowered her head without saying a word, holding the blood-stained poisonous sword.
There he was, wearing the mask of “The Clown Who Doesn’t Smile.”
Maria takes off her mask without saying a word, and beyond it, her ‘real face’ is reflected in the blood.
“What do you see?”
“I just see the face of a monster.”
Maria was silent and Gretel responded coldly.
“You are a monster.”
Slayer leader and hunter Gretel said. Since that day, when Mary decided to betray humanity and become a saint of heroes.
“You and the Lord of Heroes are nothing more than monsters that eat humans.”
“We are still trying to protect the human world, Gretel.”
Maria said.
“Even if you and other humans don’t understand that fact.”
“You sound like ‘they’.”
“them?”
“Monsters that suck human blood.”
Gretel answered.
“You and them are very similar.”
Thinking back to the vampires in her hometown who never treated humans as equals to themselves.
Even now, I think of them treating humans like livestock and raising them in the unfathomable world of the tower.
“The way you look at humans, even that feeling of compassion.”
“Even humans love and pity the animals they raise and slaughter.”
Gretel said.
“To you, humans are nothing more than livestock to be raised.”
“So are you still hunting down players?”
“Our hunt will not end until all monsters on this earth that threaten humans disappear.”
Hunter Gretel answered.
“And a hero who does not love humans is no different from a monster.”
Maria smiled softly and bitterly at Gretel’s words. After a bitter smile, she disappeared.
Sigh!
When I realized it, Maria’s sword was tearing Hunter Gretel’s body to pieces.
The Master Slayer’s torn body was reduced to ashes and scattered fleetingly.
And the ashes that were supposed to fall formed a new ‘pile of ashes’ and regained their shape by taking the shape of a person.
“Ashes to ashes.”
Dust to dust.
No matter how much they fall and fall, they do not die. It cannot return to ashes.
Before I knew it, countless piles of ashes were swirling around Retel like a sandstorm. I can’t defeat her like this.
She and they never gave up. Literally like a cockroach.
[Force: Slayer exhausts their influence!]
[Force: Slayer decides to ‘operationally retreat’…]
From that day on, hunters appear and fall endlessly in front of the heroes who abandoned humanity.
“You’re really stubborn.”
No matter how much we tried to persuade them and talk to them,
they did not listen to the heroes. At the same time, Maria also understood.
That what she says is not wrong.
Heroes no longer love humans. Because that was the decision made by the ‘Lord of Heroes’.
What they show to humans is not much different from the mercy humans show to livestock such as cows and other animals.
The moment she realized that fact, a feeling of fear engulfed her, as if she had truly become a monster.
I thought of the German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel.
A young brother and sister, abandoned by their parents and wandering through the forest, arrive at a witch’s house made of cookies.
Also, I remembered the ending of the fairy tale, where Gretel puts the witch in the brazier and burns her.
Leaving behind an inexplicable ominous premonition, Maria raised her head.
It was still time to fulfill the hero’s mission to protect the world of humans.
At that time.
“Are you guys eating well?”
The Lord of Heroes was there.
“Woah King of Heroes…!”
“How did we get here…!”
And that place was a conflict zone in the Middle East, far away, with which Yoosung had no connection whatsoever.
The people there were warriors carrying out a holy war.
Those who carry out what they think is right according to their ideology and religious beliefs.
Those who are willing to commit any evil to carry out that good.
“I have no interest in your beliefs.”
And the hero who did not love humans continued calmly.
“Where are the ‘players’ who are cooperating with you?”
The King of Heroes asked them.
No one could easily answer.
“Quickly turn yourself in and find the light. “I will save
the rest .”
On that day, the International Players’ Union declared in front of everyone the ‘Treaty on the Prohibition of Weaponization of Players’.
It was a decision for a better world.
No player may use any of his/her abilities other than to conquer the tower.
Players must not engage in any war or conflict.
The player’s power is changing an otherwise terrible world into something more terrible.
An individual with overwhelming power who functions as an asymmetric force, a decisive weapon that can change the course of a war taking place between nations.
Everyone was eager to utilize the player’s power, including the players themselves.
“Oh, we never agreed to that treaty! The treaty of the International Union of Players has no effect whatsoever under international law…”
And just as the powerful figures of the UN Peace Security Council were the same, so were the humans there.
It was nothing more than a ‘one-sided claim by heroes’ without any agreement.
“Oh, that’s right. “You don’t agree with the weaponization of players?”
That’s why Yoosung shrugged his shoulders and answered.
“So you mobilize players for jihad, get unsuspecting civilians involved, carry out bombings, and torment children with fireworks? “This is good.”
Just like that, Yoosung snapped his fingers.
“Then, out of respect for your opinions, I don’t have to follow the non-weaponization treaty.”
“uh…?”
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what was happening.
But soon everyone there realized what a foolish decision they had made.
King of Heroes.
Because the most powerful and cruel ‘weapon’ in the world was there.
