Chapter 450

The Gate Incident is a phenomenon where monsters pour out of the Warp Gate. If the incident progresses to a certain extent, the monsters will spread and even villages without a Warp Gate or on the outskirts of the city will become peaceful unless a small Warp Gate is present. In the early stages of the incident, dangerous places include major cities such as Hwangdo. The protagonist's group arrived at a peaceful forest far from Hwangdo, but they know that the Gate Incident is happening all over the world and many cities will perish without proper measures. The effort to stop the Gate Incident caused it, but they cannot be bound by despair. The protagonist introduces their ancient vampire lords and allies, and mentions their missing friend Lucinil. "Lucinil... is one of the Lord Vampires who infiltrated the Temple. Will Lucinil be safe? Even as I spoke, one side of my heart couldn't help but ache. * * * Everyone was shocked to hear about Lucinil's identity, but there wasn't enough time to fully understand it. There was too much to explain. Assuming that everyone believed my words without suspicion, I told them everything I could, just like I did with Eleris. From the day the Demon King died at the hands of a hero, to knowing that the Gate Incident would happen and having some knowledge of the future, to everything we've done so far to stop the Gate Incident. The events of tracking Akasha and Kantus Magna, discovering Akasha's true identity, and how everything got twisted when I tried to reveal everything. That's why my subordinates caused the Gate Incident to save me and why I'm here now. Eleris already knew the story, but the three from the Temple, as well as Gallarch and Luruen, were wide-eyed listening to what I said. So, I became the direct cause of the Gate Incident while trying to stop it. I don't know what expression I had when I said that, but Olivia and Harriet were biting their lips. Eleris, as the one who directly caused the Gate Incident, couldn't say anything due to guilt. It's obvious even without looking. Sarkergarna couldn't resist Antirianus's impulsive nature. Of course, that doesn't mean Eleris's guilt disappears. Anyway, we can't just sit around and do nothing because the situation has become like this. We have to do something. It's ridiculous for me, who caused the Gate Incident, to go around cleaning up the aftermath. But I can't not do it. My life and the lives of millions, or even billions, of people are at stake. Even if I didn't want it, it has already happened. So, even if it's just one life, isn't it my job to save a life that will die because of me? Antirianus may want me to fall into despair, but I don't plan on doing that. I thought I could save everyone. I tried to do that even though I knew I couldn't. And if I'm the reason everyone will die in the end... If I'm thrown into that situation... Did I think I would fall? Did I think I would crumble? Did I think I wouldn't be able to stand up again? If I could save everyone by dying, I could have done it. But with my death, I can't create anything beyond meaninglessness. Since I can't find meaning in death, I'll find it in life. I'm not a strong person, but I've thought a lot during my captivity. In resignation, I hoped that everything would end with my death. But I didn't die. I had to witness the Gate Incident happening and was thrown back into the world." "The world wants me to fall, whether out of anger, injustice, or sorrow. I cannot collapse quietly. I will not regret and crumble in a corner, saying that I did everything wrong since the Gate Incident happened in some corner of the continent. If I must be strong, then I will be strong. I do not know what the right thing to do in this situation is, but not standing up after falling would be evil. I wanted to do good, but since I cannot achieve it, I will at least avoid evil. I cannot collapse. I cannot hesitate. I must do what I can. 'Reinhardt... do you really have to save humans? Why?' Olivia asked. She did not trust me, she only hated me, and even if she found out about me, she would ultimately hate me because the Demon King was the culprit of everything. She seemed unable to understand why I had to save such humans. 'Because I created this world.' This was my world, and people were sacrificed in the chaos I created. If that was reality, then it was where my imagination became reality. You will suffer from more chaos than the chaos you tried to solve. I was thrown into such a situation. This was my world, and I created the chaos, so I must solve it. Even if no one understands what I mean, it's okay. I will do what I can in the given situation. Even when I did not know the cause of the Gate Incident, I did what I could in the given situation. The result led to the Gate Incident. I am still doing what I can in the given situation. There is nothing else. 'I have to calm down this situation from now on.' 'I don't think I can do everything alone. The things I can do alone are very limited, and they are not very valuable in terms of scale.' 'I am trying to do what I can, but I will need a lot of people because it will not mean much if I do it alone.' 'Everyone does not need to cooperate with me. If what I am trying to do is not convincing, then you do not have to do anything. But those who have come this far and trust me must take some responsibility. At least, we need a place where we can live safely. I will make sure of that.' 'And I am trying to do something that I cannot do alone. For that, we need to become "us" instead of "me".' 'We need to secure a place where we can be safe, build our power, make people follow us, and increase our strength... We need to do those tasks... That's why...' The Gate Incident happened. Therefore, I cannot be satisfied with being alone or having a small force to solve this. 'I will rebuild Dark Land.' That is why I can now truly dream of rebuilding Dark Land. I sensed that I should not remain as the prince of a ruined country, but become the king of a rebuilt Dark Land. * * * To calm down the Gate Incident, I will rebuild the Demon World. I can only break a few gates if I jump in alone. If I do that, the future where I die like self-destruction is too certain." "I may be stronger than ordinary humans, but I still have limits. Even if I am a Sword Master or a Grand Master, it won't make a difference. Can Sword Masters, even those from outside our world, save the world? Through the power of those who follow me, we will save villages, clans, and cities and bring about the complete end of the Gate Incident. So it's better to use my political power and influence than my own strength. I haven't thought about who will follow me or how to form my power yet, but... " "I know," Olivia said, interrupting me. "Whoever is on your side, they will definitely follow you. No, people will follow you." Olivia seemed to know what I was going to say. "If it's the Order of Ode, they will deny me even if I have a relic, as long as I am the definite cause of the Gate Incident, right?" "No, not them," Olivia shook her head. "The Order of the Divine." Ah, the proposition that I had forgotten due to the events that had occurred so far came to mind. The Order of the Divine. "Do you know where the Order of the Divine's base is, where those guys are?" "If what you say is true, the Order of the Divine must be considered to be really dead, not just pretending to be dead. I've seen it all." Olivia told me in detail that the ruins of the Gelkor Gear Desert were the base of the Order of the Divine and that she had already identified all of their bases. I had planned to mobilize the Holy Knights to subdue them, but before reporting to the Holy Knights, I was caught by the knights of Shana Pelle. The Order of the Divine. They are dangerous guys, but right now I need power more than anything else. In this situation, power is the most necessary thing. I didn't even want to worship them, but the Order of the Divine, who would absolutely consider my words, is a force that must be secured in the current situation. This happened because the timing was wrong. If the timing had been off, the Order of the Divine would have been wiped out by the Holy Knights. This mismatch became a terrible thing for me, but at some point, it also became a good thing in some ways. Harry and Liana didn't seem to understand how Olivia could have found out such information. They didn't know that Olivia could handle the power of the Divine. Just handling the power of the Divine would have made it easy for her to gain the trust of the Order of the Divine, so it would have been the easiest thing for her to reach them. "Okay... so it's important to put the Order of the Divine under me first..." Securing the power of the Order of the Divine has become a very important condition. And the Gelkor Gear Desert is a wilderness. There is no warp gate there, so it is not affected by the Gate Incident, and it is unlikely that anyone on the continent knows that this situation is happening there. -Pudddduk! Somewhere, a swarm of sharp bats began to fly from one side of the forest. Harry pointed to it and turned pale. "What is that...?" "Don't be scared." It soon turned into an old man in a black suit, a hat, and a cane. Antirianus looks at me and bows deeply, taking off his hat. "I greet a great being." Antirianus puts his hat back on with a smile, seeming to enjoy the situation. "So, this is the mess I've reached in order to find the solution to everything. The old man is the last of the Road Vampires, Antirianus of Tuesday. Don't get too close to him, he's crazy." Despite my harsh words, Antirianus just laughs and responds. "Oh dear, your words are severe." There seems to be too much information for the three of them to handle, and there is no time to explain calmly. "The Lord of Wednesday and the Duke of Sarkagar have been captured, and the Duke of Royar and Ephinhauser have died." Antirianus brings a letter. Ephinhauser died trying to save me, and he said it wasn't the Order's intention. Ephinhauser betrayed the Order's intention and died trying to save me. And Royar died too. It's hard to believe that the Rotary Club is still alive. What happened to Adriana? There are survivors, but there are too many who have died or whose fate is uncertain. I shudder with a feeling of pressure and despair that seems to squeeze my heart. Why did Ephinhauser die for me? I don't have time to think about Royar and the club members' deaths. I never knew what a king was, and I never thought I wanted to be one. I had no intention of fulfilling Sarkagar's wish to become a king. However, I decided to become a king. A king is not a place for someone who is sad and depressed, and sinks into despair in a corner. What happened has happened. Who loved me, how much I loved someone. What were the memories we shared, what kind of existence were they to me. It will be a being that should focus on the future rather than remembering that. So let's put it off, let's put off thinking about it until everything is okay. And eventually forget. A being who eventually forgets what to remember, who to remember, and what to be sad about. That's what a king is. Royar is dead. Ephinhauser is dead. But. Lucinil and Sarkagar have been captured. They're still alive. I'll put off the sadness for the dead. I don't know when I'll be able to mourn them, but I have to delay the deaths of my people who are still alive. "Antirianus, can you send a message to the Empire?" "Of course, that's easy enough." I have to become a being that manages the future. We cannot be bound by the past. "We will respond to the Gate Incident in our own way, and we have no intention of fighting humans." The Gate Incident has already happened. "But if we kill Lucinil and Sarkagar, it will be a permanent hostility." This is not a joke. "Please convey that." We cannot destroy the Empire as usual. "If I, who have absorbed the power of the Masin religion, want to do that, I certainly can." But if I absorb the power of the Masin religion now, I could bring down not just the Empire, but also humanity. The Empire may be foolish enough not to know that. So I could kill Lucinil and Sarkagar. If that happens, I will destroy the Empire and establish a new one on the ruins. There is no need for the ruler of humanity to be human. "Hehehe... I will definitely convey that. Great existence..." Watching Antirianus laugh as if my words and decisions are too enjoyable, I narrowed my eyes. It was an inspiration that must have impelled Eleris. "It won't be fun if you change the words and convey them." Antirianus nodded at my words. "Haha... Do you think I would pursue such trivial fun?" Yes. I believe Antirianus' words that he won't make hasty jokes unless it's extreme fun. -Squeak! Click! -Pudddduk! Everyone looked at Antirianus, who had turned into a swarm of bats, as if it was ominous. He threatened that if he dared to threaten the safety of Sarkagar and Lucinil's whereabouts, there would be a real problem. The Empire may hate me, but they cannot ignore what will happen if they make me their enemy. It may be difficult to recover those two immediately, but it may be possible in the long run. "Ark Demon, are you planning to go to the Gellcorgees Desert from now on?" Lurien asked me that. Are those two going to continue to cooperate with me? Even if they leave, I have nothing to say. They have done too much for me, who has nothing to give. "The Gellcorgees Desert is also my base. If I know the exact location of the Masin religion, I can convey it." "That's right. But it's not the top priority." There is something more important than securing power. A stronghold. Land where we can be safe. And before that. I look at Heriot and Liana. "What about your families... what are you going to do?" They tried to save me somehow. I don't know what the plan was, but it got tangled up because of the Gate Incident. But now that this situation has arisen, it was clear that their families would be in danger. Not only their lives, but also the lives of all the people on the continent. "Arnaka... will be okay... trust our dad..." The capital of the Sangtuan Kingdom, Arnaka. If the Grand Duke sided with the Demon King, his daughter's worries would be even greater. Heriot clenched her fist with her head down. Heriot seemed to believe that the Sangtuan Kingdom, as well as the Grand Duke, could handle any confusion that may arise from the Gate Incident. I then looked at Liana. She sighed and spoke slowly while looking at the other side of the forest. "I told my mother that I would do something like this today." Regardless of the circumstances, Liana knew that it was the Empire, not me, that was the target of revenge. Her mother must have known that too. Liana had decided to stand with the Demon King to destroy the Empire, and her mother had agreed to it. After the death of Duke Granz, there had been many changes in the Duchess's state of mind. The Duchess had allowed Liana to risk her life for her father's revenge. But now, it was not Liana who was in danger, but the Duchess. Although Heriot was afraid, he trusted the power of the Sangtuan Kingdom and the Duke, which was different from believing that his father would be safe. Even if the Duchess was safe until the Gate Incident was resolved, she could not be safe as long as Liana was on my side. Liana trembled as she clenched her fist. "So my mother... you know. The villa on Edina Island where we went last time?" What? Seriously? "Edina Island?" "Yes, we'll be safe there. If I do something like this... it'll be dangerous..." Liana was planning to cause an accident, so the Duchess had already avoided it. However, since the Gate Incident would have occurred on Edina Island, the Duchess's life would be in danger. That's why Liana decided to help me for now, but she couldn't be comfortable knowing that her mother's life was in danger. "That's good." But when I said that, Liana narrowed her eyes at me, and Heriot trembled as if to say, "What are you talking about?" "What? That's good?" "Yes, it's good." I crossed my arms. "We're going to Edina Island from now on." A place we will use as a base. A place that is far from the continent and where news is very slow to spread. Edina Island. That isolated island is a suitable place for us to grow our power while avoiding the Empire's eyes. "We're going to occupy Edina Island." That will be the starting point for the reconstruction of Dark Land. We're going to save Ailey. And we're going to save Duke Granz's wife. So it's a good thing.