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#50. Imminent War

Having dealt with Marcus and the Blood Lions, Kim Jin-Woo frowned as he stared at the Under-Elves, who were still trembling as before

The Under-Elves didn’t even dare to raise their heads in the presence of the Nagas, who had easily dealt with the predators that they had been terrified of to the point of begging for their lives.

The sight of them was simply too pathetic for Kim Jin-Woo, as his gaze turned cold and he said, “Worthless.”

Just one word was all it took to seal the fate of the Under-Elves.

“As Master wishes.” Despite being the only one who could help defend the Under-Elves and change their fate, Rikshasha obediently bowed her head in acceptance of her clan’s fate.

“The Dragon Knigts are to retrieve the corpses of Marcus and the Blood Lions, and to return to the labyrinth!” Kim Jin-Woo declared as he stared at the Under-Elves one last time before turning around. The Naga Dragon Knights skillfully started collecting the corpses of Marcus and the Blood Lions.

“Rikshasha, what are we to do?” One of the Under-Elves, who had been blankly lying collapsed on the floor all along, cautiously asked Rikshasha.

Just the look of him trembling with fright as he asked about his fate was an unsightly, pathetic scene to behold. Thus, Rikshasha’s expression only darkened further.

“The safe grounds you mentioned…” Frightened by Rikshasha’s lack of an answer, the Under-Elf clung onto her as if begging for his life.

At the same time, the heavy stench of blood on the battlefield had started to attract creatures from all over the 8th Floor. Soon, the area would be flooded with wild creatures.

From the rabid look on their faces, they had clearly gathered for more than just the leftover corpses on the battlefield, as they had locked their sight onto the Under-Elves.

Belatedly realizing what their future held, one by one, the Under-Elves looked up toward Rikshasha and the Nagas. However, Kim Jin-Woo continued to ignore their presence.

Rikshasha also simply turned and started walking away, refusing to provide an answer. As Morrigan started following Kim Jin-Woo in their retreat back to the labyrinth, the Under-Elves looked desperately back and forth between the remaining Naga Dragon Knights, before slowly getting up onto their feet.

And with that, they started following behind the Dragon Knights.

***

“That was rather unnecessary of me,” Kim Jin-Woo said.

“I’m deeply ashamed, Master. I never imagined that my clan would have declined to such a pathetic extent,” Rikshasha replied.

“I’m not blaming you. Either way, now that you’ve returned, that’s all that matters. My only regret is that you suffered unnecessarily because of them.”

Seeing how pitiful the Under-Elves were, Kim Jin-Woo felt more empathy toward the loss of Rikshasha’s hair than the rest of the Under-Elves. He was rather upset that Rikshasha had had to suffer unnecessarily.

“Is there something you wish to say?” Kim Jin-Woo noticed Rikshasha standing awkwardly with her head lowered, and knew that she was hesitant about something. He had a feeling he knew what she wanted to say. “I guess you’re still concerned with them. They are your clanmates, after all.”

“How could I dare to defend their pathetic state in front of Master? I’m simply ashamed that they couldn’t be of any use to Master.”

It was a fact that Rikshasha hadn’t stood up for her clan when Kim Jin-Woo had been ready to abandon them on the battlefield. But now, she seemed to be hesitant on some level, and Kim Jin-Woo wanted to know the reason.

“They’re natural-born scouts. They may seem useless now because the long period of slavery has weakened their minds, but I believe they’ll be able to prove their worth in time,” Rikshasha said.

“Are you asking me to give them an opportunity?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

The truth was that, if Rikshasha requested it, finding something for the 300-odd Under-Elves to do was an easy task for Kim Jin-Woo. After all, he was the sole Conqueror who had the entire 9th Floor at his feet.

But Rikshasha quickly shook her head, as if to say she wouldn’t dare to even think of such a request. She began, “They were raised as livestock and have the thinking capacity of animals, so the word “opportunity” is unfitting of them. They will be of use, however…”

“It seems you have something in mind,” Kim Jin-Woo remarked.

“Please entrust them with spying on the Deep Floors,” Rikshasha said. Kim Jin-Woo’s eyes widened at the unexpected request, and Rikshasha continued, “Don’t waste your precious Nagas in vain; use those worthless beings instead. There will definitely be sacrifices, but not without results.”

“You’re a pragmatic one. But still, aren’t they your clanmates?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

“For Master’s glory, I’m willing to sacrifice not only my own clanmates, but my very own soul as well,” Rikshasha replied.

It was true that while Kim Jin-Woo had sent Uther’s Greed Slimes to the 11th Floor for reconnaissance, gathering information was harder than he had expected. The Slimes had started dying off due to being too far away from their floor of origin, and many of them had been caught up in the war and were killed. Thus, Rikshasha’s offer was rather tempting.

“But they’re such cowards, how could I ever make use of them?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

“Even animals have families, so there exists the concept of parental love between them,” Rikshasha began.

“What are you trying to say?”

“When I first started looking for my clanmates, I focused on finding those that had intact families.” Rikshasha didn’t have to finish the rest of her statement. She was suggesting to hold their families hostage while sending the Under-Elves to their death.

Kim Jin-Woo was slightly taken aback at the level of brutality and coldheartedness Rikshasha displayed against her own kind, saying, “Still, they are your clanmates. As long as you say the word, I can provide them with a safe and secure place to live.”

But Rikshasha shook her head in response. “Those who are unable to prove their own worth are unworthy of Master’s grace and mercy. Please treat them as your livestock.”

Kim Jin-Woo stared hard at Rikshasha, but it was obvious that she truly meant what she said. Only when he saw the resolve in her eyes did he remember the messages that had appeared when she evolved into an Under-Elf Runner.

[This wanderer of the Underworld did not know pride until she began serving the king and offered her utmost loyalty. Her pride now lies in honoring the glory and victory of her king, and she will stop at nothing to execute any and all orders. No matter how lowly and filthy the order, there can be no greater glory for her.]

[The unique ability ‘Loyalty and Service’ has been acquired. She finds true joy and pleasure in carrying out her king\'s orders. At her king\'s command, she will execute any being, friend or foe, without hesitation.]

It was as the messages had stated. She showed no hesitation in leading her clanmates to their death for the sake of the Fortress’ growth.

“Hmm. Let’s decide after we return.” Kim Jin-Woo gave no specific instructions to the Dragon Knights as they returned to their labyrinth. If the Under-Elves wanted to live and consider the Fortress their new settlement, they would have to grit their teeth as they followed closely behind the Dragon Knights.

However, that was easier said than done. The Naga Dragon Knights were known for their swiftness and unpredictable maneuvers, even on the 9th Floor. Kim Jin-Woo was only willing to take in the Under-Elves that were able to match their pace. Only then could he think about sending them to the 11th Floor or anything else, after providing them with a shelter to rest for the moment.

“As Master wishes.” Rikshasha must have belatedly thought that she had overstepped her boundaries, as she deeply bowed her head.

Kim Jin-Woo looked at her silently for a moment before heading off. He said, “Let’s deal with Marcus’ labyrinth first. The longer we leave it without a master, the more pests it\'s going to attract.”

***

Having lost its master, Marcus’ labyrinth was dead silent. Thus, Kim Jin-Woo was able to reach the Labyrinth Core with no interference or resistance. He remarked, “Oho. I see that even the 8th Floor has some pretty decent labyrinths.”

Despite the inter-floor penalty, Marcus’ Labyrinth Core was unexpectedly at Level 6, not Level 5 as he had expected. In addition, its dungeon energy capacity was almost maxed out, so it was a rather unexpected windfall from his point of view.

“From what I heard, the Big-Tusk Wild Boars were chased down to the 9th Floor by the Blood Lions. Although the labyrinth may now be an abandoned labyrinth without a master, considering that it once belonged to one of the strongest beings on the entire floor, this isn’t entirely surprising,” Rikshasha casually explained, putting all the information she had gathered on the 8th Floor to good use.

“It’s as you said. This is pretty worthwhile. It’s even worth activating right now to make use of its power.” Kim Jin-Woo looked momentarily satisfied. But a look of worry quickly replaced that satisfaction.

The war on the 11th Floor was bound to spread all over the Underworld sooner or later. He wasn’t sure if he could afford to take care of an 8th Floor labyrinth when that time came.

If he were to one day move his troops through the 8th Floor, it would serve as a perfect bridgehead, but right now, it was best to focus on expanding his front lines instead. Thus, after much deliberation, he decided to extract the Labyrinth Core.

“Retreat!” Having extracted the core and transferred it to one of the now-scarce highest-grade down gems, Kim Jin-Woo quickly left the coreless labyrinth without any regrets.

***

The return journey was smooth sailing. As Marcus’ labyrinth was on the edge of the 8th Floor and the entire 9th Floor belonged to Kim Jin-Woo, there was absolutely no resistance on their way back.

“Master!”

Kim Jin-Woo smiled brightly at Dominique’s warm welcome, as his eyes wandered over to her smooth, long legs. Seeing his advisor’s shamelessly outstretched legs, he figured that it was now nighttime.

“How are the Dragon Knights?” he asked.

“They’ve all returned at full strength and are now resting. But they returned with some strange beings,” Dominique commented.

Kim Jin-Woo raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t difficult to guess what she meant by ‘strange beings’. He asked,“How many?”

“Including both young and old, as well as those injured and in good health, there’s a total of two hundred and forty-nine of them. I’ve held them on the outskirts for now.” Dominique got straight to the point as she replied nonchalantly.

Noticing that there were fewer stragglers than he had expected, Kim Jin-Woo instinctively looked at Rikshasha.

“Those guys are second-to-none when it comes to running and hiding,” Rikshasha said. The relentless Under-Elf obviously hated her own kind. Kim Jin-Woo wondered why she had even bothered to gather them if she was going to treat them this way.

“What shall we do with them?” Dominique asked.

“Let’s just leave them be for now. But attach a watcher to them, and report their every conversation and move to me,” Kim Jin-Woo replied. This wasn’t the end of his test for them.

Dominique nodded, and gave a report based on the information she had gathered. The situation on the 11th Floor was still deteriorating, and now the news was spreading that a few of the Barons on the 10th Floor were gathering troops to support the 11th Floor Counts.

In addition, news of both Anatolius’ and Parthenon’s army suffering a defeat on the 11th Floor reached Kim Jin-Woo.

“The 11th Floor Counts need to hold on longer…” Kim Jin-Woo muttered. He still needed Anatolius.

Although Anatolius’ material support had been completely cut off, Kim Jin-Woo had received a lot of information on the 11th Floor Counts thanks to their secret agreement, so he needed Anatolius to hold on as long as he could.

But Dominique further explained that Anatolius was one of the Counts who had suffered the biggest defeats.

“No. No way. Anatolius isn’t one to lose so easily. That sneaky bastard would have used everything he had in this war,” Kim Jin-Woo said.

“I believe so as well. Since it’s Anatolius we are talking about, I’m sure he set aside a part of his troops to go on the offensive the moment this war ends. But because the war is dragging on longer than expected, I’m not certain whether he’ll get the chance to launch an offensive after the war,” Dominique replied.

Dominique was more pessimistic about the war than Kim Jin-Woo had expected. But frankly speaking, hearing that the 11th Floor Counts were losing in their own front yard would bring even the brightest optimist to despair.

As they talked about the seriousness of the war, Kim Jin-Woo could truly feel that it was drawing closer to him. It wouldn’t be long. Soon, the 11th Floor’s conflict would reach the doorstep of the 9th Floor without a doubt.

Kim Jin-Woo had done all he could as he traveled back and forth between the Underworld and the surface in preparation for the war.

He had exchanged a significant amount of down gems in his possession in exchange for weapons from the surface, and he had even made use of Song Jong-Chul’s weakness to his advantage.

Song Jong-Chul had somehow readily provided him with “true military-grade weapons” as per his request without a single ounce of retaliation. Kim Jin-Woo had no idea how these weapons would affect the outcome of the war, but regardless, he wanted to be as prepared as he could.

He spent his days frantically crossing between the surface and the Underworld, and after several days and nights, he was knocked out cold from fatigue as he fell into a deep sleep on his throne.

Once again, he was invited into another nightmare.