Chapter 87 – Temple of the Dragon (8)

It was a shocking statement.

The first thing Se-min thought of was conflict between family. What would Maladuk think of Mukudu, who had sat for a long time? Wouldn’t he regard him as a bad father who neglected him?

Fortunately, the situation he was worried about did not occur.

Mukudu tilted his large head slightly and asked Maladuk back.

[You are my son?]

[Yeah. After Father fell into thought, I was born.]

The next thing Se-min thought of was the existence of the ogre who would be Mukudu’s wife and Maladuk’s mother.

Since coming to the Starlight Mountain Range, Se-min had never thought about the distinction between male and female ogres. It felt as if ogres had no gender.

However, since there was a father-son relationship, wouldn’t there naturally be a mother-son relationship as well?

[I see. My son.]

The ground began to shake.

Mukudu raised his massive arm and stroked Maladuk’s head. His hand was so large that it was only to the extent of placing his fingertips on it.

Se-min, who was watching that scene, asked in a small voice.

“Excuse me…”

Mukudu and Maladuk looked at Se-min.

“Then where is your mother…?”

It was the expression of pure curiosity.

However, Maladuk began to laugh as if that question was so funny. Because of the telepathy, his head rang.

[You are indeed a funny human!]

Se-min looked at him without knowing the reason, but the ground shook in an instant. This time it was Mukudu. As he laughed, the entire area of the mountain range shook.

[Are you looking for my wife?]

And then he laughed again. Se-min had to fly up to his shoulder area and keep patting him to calm him down.

“Calm down. Stop laughing.”

[It’s funny. It’s funny.]

“Let me know what’s so funny too.”

[My wife, of all things.]

Soon, the laughter stopped for both Mukudu and Maladuk. Mukudu looked down at them with a solemn expression as if when did he laugh.

[I am Maladuk’s father, but there is a mother separately.]

“Who is it?”

[You must know about her well too.]

Mukudu pointed down.

Se-min tilted his head without knowing what it meant, but soon realized its meaning.

[The Starlight Mountain Range is our ogres’ mother.]

***

Time passed.

Se-min came to know about how ogres were born.

It was different from the reproduction of general creatures. An ogre’s body grew when it gathered sufficient moonlight and starlight, and in that process, a part of its body shed and fell off.

If that residue continued to be exposed to starlight, with a very slim probability, it combined with the bedrock of the Starlight Mountain Range and a new ogre was born.

Maladuk, in the end, became a new ogre because a part of Mukudu’s body fell off.

It seemed there was no human-like family relationship that Se-min had thought of.

He did not know about demigods, but Se-min felt anew that ogres were existences close to spirits or fairies.

“The ogres’ mother.”

Se-min, who was practicing the Cosmic Style, muttered. Countless lights were twinkling on Rufus. It was the flow of celestial bodies implemented by the Cosmic Style.

Soon Se-min withdrew the Cosmic Style and let out a sigh. He looked at the ground placed below him, turned his view, and looked around the panoramic view of the Starlight Mountain Range.

Looking further away, the appearance of the demonic beasts surrounding the Starlight Mountain Range was also visible.

There had never been a race that Badurbarok guarded against like this so far.

Se-min wanted to drag the ogres in somehow.

He looked down at the earth and spoke.

“Hey.”

Se-min crouched down and tapped the ground. There was no way the ground would reply. Se-min kept hitting below and continued speaking.

“Let’s do well together. Yes?”

Se-min, who was speaking to the mountain alone, suddenly discovered a pile of stones accumulated in a dropped place.

“That is…”

Se-min approached that place.

He knew that this was not just a rock. Although it had a granite shape similar to the bedrock of the Starlight Mountain Range, looking closely, one could know that it was a bit different.

It was the ogres’ shed skin.

If time passed, this could also turn into a new ogre.

Se-min gathered the scattered piles well and piled them up.

“Become a splendid ogre.”

And then he tapped the residue.

They were peaceful days.

Although he occasionally went down below for food problems, mostly he just lay around the Starlight Mountain Range.

He thought about ways to drag the ogres in various ways, but a reply did not come out.

The Starlight Mountain Range was the mother to the ogres.

The force of Badurbarok was taking their mother hostage.

“If we cannot get the ogres…”

Even without the ogres, they could fight. However, there was no chance of winning.

Beyond the distant clouds, the shapes of the Gaigatuses were visible.

Badurbarok could make such guys in large quantities.

“Sigh.”

Se-min turned his head. Far away, another ogre standing still was visible. Although they were guys staying still like that, the abilities they were equipped with were enormous.

Se-min approached and spoke.

“Were you Julunu?”

[….]

Julunu did not reply. He seemed to have fallen into a deep thought. Se-min did not wake that guy.

Walking the mountain range again, he saw several ogres gathered.

Looking only at their backs, it looked like stone statues were standing, but when approaching close, their conversation rang in his head.

[A while ago, Guruguru returned to Mother’s bosom.]

[No way. He must have just fallen into thought.]

[No. It’s true. Since Guruguru is an old ogre, it’s not strange even if he returned to Mother’s bosom.]

[Are you sure he didn’t just fall into thought?]

[I’m sure.]

[Why?]

[It’s a feeling.]

[What kind of feeling is it?]

[That’s…]

The ogres were patient listeners, so they listened to nonsense one by one.

The ogre who claimed that the ogre named Guruguru returned to nature began to argue the difference between being deeply in thought and actually passing away, by comparing it to his feeling.

Se-min also tried to understand, but it sounded like there was no logical context.

“What happens when ogres return to Mother’s bosom?”

Se-min suddenly cut in. The ogres naturally let Se-min into their conversation.

[You are human. You said you are the Emperor. Humans become corpses when they die, but ogres become rocks when they return to Mother’s bosom.]

“Ogres in thought also look like rocks, though.”

[That is true.]

“Could the ogres who returned to Mother’s bosom actually still be in thought?”

[Is that so?]

At Se-min’s question, the ogres also began to contemplate.

[No. Ogres who returned to Mother’s bosom crumble as they weather over time. They really become rocks. We look like rocks but we are not real rocks.]

[Right, right.]

“Then before they crumble, one cannot know whether they are in thought or returned to Mother’s bosom?”

[That is true.]

“Couldn’t you just force them to wake up?”

[But waking up an ogre in contemplation is contrary to manners. Anyone can contemplate as much as they want. Distracting contemplation is a rude behavior.]

[Right. He would be really angry.]

Se-min nodded.

“So you can wake them up and confirm, but there is no need to do that.”

[Right.]

“Let’s pray that Guruguru will move again naturally later. It would be sad if he returned to nature.”

[Yeah.]

The ogres nodded.

[Although it is a sad thing for us, returning to Mother is a good thing anyway. There is no need to be too sad.]

[That’s a correct word.]

The ogres began to converse with a new topic again.

This time it was about returning to Mother’s bosom. To them, this would be like a story about death.

At first, it was just like chatter, but as the conversation deepened, philosophical and difficult concepts gradually began to appear. It seemed to be the ogres’ own dialogue system. Se-min slipped away.

Se-min walked toward his quarters.

Meanwhile, Se-min’s companions had also squeezed out various ideas to draw the ogres in, but there was no content that could be executed. They gradually began to examine the plan to exclude the ogres as well.

“Should we leave?”

Se-min, after setting a deadline with the party, thought that if there was no sharp plan within that, they should leave the Starlight Mountain Range.

It was then.

Se-min looked back.

Something was felt, but he could not specify it precisely.

“What is it?”

Se-min kicked the air and flew up.

An unidentified power was swirling. Although it was invisible to the eye, it could be felt by the skin.

The air current swept the area and formed a funnel shape toward a single point.

“That is…”

At the place where that power was heading, there was the pile of stones that Se-min had gathered and piled up from the ogres’ residue.

Se-min saw the starlight settling over it. Countless celestial bodies shining in the sky came to the ground from a distant place, crossing a long, long time, to here.

At that destination, the starlight caressed the rock.

Se-min lost his words.

A scene he had never imagined was unfolding.

The Starlight Mountain Range began to glow bluish, and from the sky, countless stars dropped light toward the ground.

In that circulation, a new light germinated.

The inorganic matter, which was nothing but a rock, was being born as a single life under the care of the stars and the earth.

It was a majestic sight.

Se-min came down to the ground and witnessed all of it.

Earth veins rose from the ground and connected to the pile of stones. Gradually, the leaf veins of life began to extend.

Each time a path of a branch or a stem opened, a crowd of light spread as if to bless it. Because it was holding all things, it was an ecstatic color that could not be easily distinguished by the eye.

The starlight wrapped around the entirety of the stone to shape the body.

The rock, like a liquid, changed its shape without resisting the touch. A head slipped out from between the shifted gaps of the rock. A neck was formed, and it became the shape of shoulders and waist.

Each time the shape changed, a melody of life like music flowed out.

Blessing.

It was a miracle that could only be explained by that word.

Receiving the blessing of the stars and the earth, a new ogre was being born.

That process continued slowly and slowly. Se-min watched all of it from beginning to end. It was a wondrous scene where even eternity felt like an instant.

Eventually, all processes ended.

After the stars set and the earth lost light, an ogre was crouching there.

It was smaller than Maladuk, an ogre of a size similar to Se-min.

“Hello?”

Se-min tried speaking to it.

The ogre lifted its eyes. Just that its size was small, the granite-like skin and heavy appearance were still the same.

[….]

The ogre did not say anything.

Even in the case of humans, a newborn baby did not know how to speak, so it was probably natural.

Se-min looked around. It seemed like there should be an ogre somewhere.

Se-min recalled the place where the ogre crowd he was conversing with earlier was located.

“Wait here. I’ll bring an ogre who will look after you.”

The ogre tilted its head. It did not understand Se-min’s words. Se-min gestured to stay still and ran toward the ogres.

The ogres were conversing among themselves without knowing anything.

[Is returning to Mother’s bosom different from dying in the end?]

[Since no one has died, we don’t know. I think they are the same.]

[No. After death, we will definitely meet another world.]

It was still that topic.

Se-min interrupted their conversation and cut in.

“Now is not the time to talk about death.”

[What’s going on?]

[You look out of breath?]

“Just now, a new ogre was born.”

At Se-min’s words, the ogres looked at each other.

It was a massive reaction by the ogres’ standards. To the always indifferent ogres, they were astonished in their own way.

[A new ogre? That is a really rare event.]

[Who was the last one born? It was Maladuk, right?]

[Then did you see that scene, Emperor?]

As Se-min nodded, the ogres looked at each other once more. One of the ogres even made forehead wrinkles as if to raise his eyebrows.

[Amazing.]

And then they were silent for a moment.

Se-min urged the ogres.

“Go quickly and take care of him. It’s a baby.”

The ogres rose from their seats. Excluding Maladuk, it was rare for the ogres to move. As they moved, stone fragments sticking to their bodies fell down.

As Se-min led the ogres and returned to that place, the baby ogre was sitting just like that.

The ogres spoke to it.

It seemed like they were conversing, but Se-min could not understand. It was a telepathy of a much deeper level.

[Human. This friend says he has something to say.]

“Eh?”

[Come over here.]

Se-min approached. The baby ogre was standing now.

[If you listen closely, you’ll be able to hear it.]

Se-min listened closely.

He could not understand well. The ogre standing beside him pushed Se-min as if to get closer. Then, some meaning seemed to be transmitted to his head.

[….want to.]

“What did you say?”

Se-min focused more.

The baby ogre said.

[I want to eat you.]

Se-min looked at the ogres, and looked at the baby ogre again.

He thought he had misheard and listened closely again.

“What… Pardon?”

Being so dumbfounded, Se-min asked back in English without realizing. The baby ogre spoke again.

[I want to eat you.]

He had not misheard. Now it became clear. The baby ogre had declared that he would cannibalize Se-min.

Se-min slapped the baby ogre’s head.

[Ouch!]

The scream rang in his head through telepathy.

“You little brat, already from the start…”

Se-min pointed his finger.

“Hey! Humans are not for eating! Where did you learn such vulgar words like wanting to eat an adult! Brat, do you have no father or mother!”

At his lecture, the other ogres put out their opinions.

[Right. Wanting to eat a human. That’s a really terrible thing to say!]

[The baby ogre has a strange appetite. Who is the father?]

[Still, isn’t hitting the back of the head a bit harsh?]

[No. It’s an ogre. If you hit, it becomes sturdier.]

Se-min shook his head at the telepathy coming and going frantically. And he admonished the baby ogre again.

“Where did you learn only such bad things!”

The baby ogre’s expression changed.

How sad was it that the first expression a life made after being born in the world was grievance?

The baby ogre, with its face completely distorted, tried desperately to appeal that its intention was unrelated to their blame.

But Se-min did not listen.

“You brrrrat!”

[It’s not that!]

“Are you aggrieved? Words are like spilled water. Once you spit them out, you cannot scoop them back. So set aside your excuses, novice!”

[I want to eat it!]

Se-min realized that this ogre was a born troublemaker.

Since the guy who was just born kept trying to eat a human, was the theory that human nature is evil actually correct? Was the cannibalistic preference an unavoidable curse?

While Se-min fell into deep thought, the baby ogre shouted again.

[Give me your starlight!]

What kind of sound was this?

Everyone stared at Se-min. Se-min also wanted to look at himself.

“What?”

[Yeah.]

“That… do you mean my eyes that shine like stars? Are you a kid who knows how to eat eyeballs?”

[What nonsense!]

The baby ogre pointed at Rufus which was slung on Se-min’s back.

[You. Your starlight.]

Only then did Se-min have something that came to mind.

While practicing the Cosmic Style, he had implemented his own microcosm. A brilliant galaxy was gathered on his sword energy. Countless starlight twinkled around Se-min’s sword.

And the pile of stones was near the place where he was training.

He had trained there for a fairly long time.

“No way…”

The ogre’s residue, starlight, and the bedrock of the Starlight Mountain Range became one to birth a new life.

If so, did the starlight made by Se-min’s Cosmic Style reach this ogre?

[I want to drink the starlight you made.]

Se-min looked at the baby ogre.

Se-min saw all of that wondrous scene where the new life was born. Heart-swelling emotions he had never felt remained in his chest.

In that scenery, was a bit of his universe contained?

Se-min lifted Rufus.

“My star?”

Formalities like swinging the sword or raising a large aura were not necessary. Se-min himself was becoming the Cosmic Style itself.

As he shook the sword once, a brilliant crowd of light spread out.

Numerous stars rose over Rufus. Around the blade, celestial bodies rotated in the air as if a planetarium were turned on.

The ogres’ gazes focused. The baby ogre began to look as if it were licking it.

[Very…]

[It is a starlight that stimulates the appetite.]

[I want to drink it.]

The baby ogre nodded.

[This is exactly it!]

Se-min held out Rufus to the ogres as if feeding them.

They said ogres live by drinking starlight, and he was curious about what shape that was.

It was different from what Se-min had imagined.

[It is sweet and cool.]

[I feel a sweet and bitter taste?]

[The taste is thick.]

[Is it because we can drink it close?]

[If I drank this when I was a stone block, my eyes would have really popped open.]

[I understand why this friend was born.]

He was popular.

The eyes, nose, and mouth of the always expressionless ogres opened wide. The ogres clung to Se-min’s Rufus and absorbed the starlight.

It was a sight as if the light turned to smoke and was sucked into them.

The ogres smiled contentedly. Faint lights like the ones emitted by the stars in the Cosmic Style also flowed from their bodies.

Se-min became the cook of the ogres and provided the Cosmic Style for a long time.

“Hey, it’s time for me to go now.”

The ogres who had been savoring Se-min’s starlight for a while nodded. Unlike the slow and easygoing ogres, their speech became fast.

[I drank well, human. Can I ask again next time?]

“If I have leeway, I’ll do it.”

[I’ll keep it a secret from the other ogres.]

[Right. Everyone will follow this human around.]

[Let’s share it only among ourselves.]

The ogres’ thinking was not very different from humans. They worried that Se-min would become everyone’s cook and leave their hands.

“Yeah. Keep it a secret.”

Se-min also declined becoming a Cosmic Style clown among the ogres.

Like that, they parted with the ogres.

However, the baby ogre who was just born stood by Se-min’s side as it was. Although it was called a baby, its size was similar to Se-min.

“What are you?”

[I’ll follow you.]

“Don’t come.”

Se-min waved his hand, but the ogre followed Se-min.

Se-min asked.

“Don’t you know who your father is?”

[I know.]

Ogres received information about their father to some extent when they were born. Since they were born from someone’s residue, the information about him seemed to be inherent.

“Then go to your father.”

[It doesn’t matter even if I see him later.]

“Why?”

[To us, fathers are not important.]

Indeed, Mukudu and Maladuk also did not exchange contact separately after meeting once.

Since they are ogres who can speak and self-stand from the moment they are born, their relationship seemed different from other creatures.

“Yeah. Do that.”

Se-min waved his hand and turned his body.

Se-min was inwardly thinking about whether he could lure the ogres using his Cosmic Style.

He seemed to need to plot separately with Kaorak, who could be said to be the most sinister among the party, or Shozen, who followed him well.

As Se-min went toward the place where the party was, he glanced back.

The rock-like guy was following diligently.

“Kid.”

Se-min walked again.

It felt like he got a subordinate.

Come to think of it, he did not remember up to what number the subordinates were. Se-min thought he should organize the subordinate list again.

***

“There’s not much income.”

Se-min nodded.

Within a few days, Se-min’s popularity rose greatly among the ogres.

Far from keeping that matter a secret, Se-min actively utilized his Cosmic Style to lure the ogres.

The ogres gathered faster than ever to taste Se-min’s Cosmic Style.

However, there seemed to be a difference in this taste.

Old ogres did not enjoy the starlight that Se-min made.

[There is no deep taste.]

[The young guys might like that kind of thing, but we ogres who know the taste enjoy the stars in the sky more.]

[Because it gives a faint and thick taste.]

Se-min’s starlight was popular among young friends like fast food.

The fact that Mukudu did not react even though he practiced the Cosmic Style on his body for so long seemed to be due to this difference in taste.

“Come to think of it, I couldn’t ask about blue sideburns mustache.”

He intended to ask Mukudu how he knew the phrases of the Cosmic Style, but he had forgotten that too.

“I have a place to go now, so wrap it up.”

Se-min said.

He was standing on top of the head of one ogre.

And in front of him, more than ten ogres were standing in a line, thrusting their heads toward Se-min’s Rufus.

[I feasted today too.]

[Please do it next time too, human.]

[I ate well.]

The ogres smiled. The sight of rock-like guys smiling in a row had a slightly eerie side.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Se-min sent them back.

[Where are you going?]

“Are you following again?”

The name of the baby ogre who woke up by Se-min’s Cosmic Style was Kububu.

Ogres already knew their own names when they were born.

“Going to meet Mukudu.”

[That ogre who is said to be extremely old?]

“Right.”

[Maladuk’s father?]

“Yeah.”

[I’ll go too.]

“Why you?”

[I want to meet him.]

“Do that.”

Se-min went toward the summit of the mountain range.

[Human. Have you come again?]

“There is something I left off asking before.”

[Blue sideburns mustache?]

“Yeah.”

[I refuse.]

“You said you’d tell me, though?”

[I said I would tell you if you blocked the demonic beasts.]

Mukudu turned his gaze. Clouds were hanging below the mountain range. If one stared beyond it with a bit more focus, the appearance of the demonic beasts surrounding the mountain range was visible.

[The demonic beasts are still there.]

“Because they say if I do something, the Starlight Mountain Range will explode, though?”

[Block them.]

“If you tell me first, I’ll block them.”

[Lie. Humans are hard to trust.]

“You are discriminating against races. If it were Earth, you’d be in big trouble. Your SNS account would explode, punk.”

[What is SNS?]

“If you tell me how you know blue sideburns mustache, I’ll tell you too.”

[You don’t need to tell me.]

“Do that.”

Se-min turned around coyly, but inwardly he was extremely curious.

How on earth did that huge rock-block ogre guy know the phrases of the Cosmic Style?

Did his grandmaster impart the Cosmic Style to Mukudu when he visited the ogres?

Or did his grandmaster rather learn clues about the Cosmic Style from the ogres?

What was the relationship?

[Blue sideburns mustache?]

However, Kububu reacted to that word.

Se-min stared at him.

“Do you know that?”

[I know.]

“How do you know?”

[My father.]

“Eh?”

Ogres received information about their father to some extent when they were born. Since they were born from someone’s residue, the information about him seemed to be inherent.

[My father knew blue sideburns mustache.]

“Who is your father?”

[Even if I speak, you won’t know. He must be lost in thought somewhere in the mountain range. They said other ogres also don’t know where he is.]

“How does he know?”

[I don’t know in detail either. Because only a faint trace remains.]

Kububu tapped his head.

[He heard it from someone. He learned it from him.]

“Is that so, as expected.”

Se-min stared at Mukudu.

“You also learned it from someone, right?”

[….]

“Speak. That human wore a dragon-drawn robe like me, right?”

[….]

“He led a wolf, right?”

Mukudu nodded. And he asked back.

[You must have learned from that human. Was he a human who wore a dragon-drawn robe and led a wolf like you?]

“Are you testing me, you bastard?”

Worthy of an old ogre, he was indeed skilled in speech. Se-min gave up extracting information and roughly affirmed.

“Yeah, what if it is? He is my grandmaster. I learned from him.”

Mukudu looked down at Se-min and spoke.

[I will tell you too.]

“Yeah, tell me.”

[Your words are right. That human came to find us. He said he wanted to fight us ogres.]

“Really…?”

No matter how hard, asking to fight these ogres who lived peacefully, his nerves must have been very thick.

[So I fought him.]

“Eh?”

Did Mukudu, who was like a sloth, also fight?

[Because I am also a combative ogre who does not avoid a fight that is picked…]

Speaking like that in a slow tone, there was no persuasiveness. Mukudu continued speaking calmly.

[I decided to learn from him about his mysterious power. He stayed in the Starlight Mountain Range for a while.]

“Oh… and then?”

[He left midway. He went to find the strongest ogre.]

“Who is the strongest ogre?”

[I don’t know either.]

Mukudu shook his head.

[He said there is a powerful ogre that even that human said was the first time seeing such an existence. According to that human’s words, he said the word demigod really suited him. However, I don’t know such an existence.]

And then he muttered to himself.

[That there is an ogre stronger than me… nonsense.]

Se-min ignored Mukudu and fell into thought.

His sect had a strict atmosphere. They had strong pride and did not easily acknowledge other sects. Dokgo Cheonma was the same. She was an outstanding strong person even in the Transcendent Network.

In the case of the grandmaster who crossed dimensions and proved himself, it would be even more so.

To think there was a powerful ogre that such a person would call a demigod.

Se-min said.

“I must find that ogre.”

***

Se-min combed through the Starlight Mountain Range to find the powerful ogre he heard about from Mukudu.

“He’s not here.”

Se-min sat on a rock and caught his breath.

He wandered the mountain range all day today too. He smashed all the demonic beasts he encountered. Just in case, he tapped sleeping rocks, waking up ogres who were lost in thought.

Although it was a rude behavior among the ogres, Se-min decided to be shameless for the grand cause.

However, the ogre he was searching for was not there.

[Heavy. I’m not a rock.]

Suddenly the ogre’s voice rang. Se-min rose from the rock. What he sat on was not a rock but an ogre.

“Sorry, sorry. I mistook you.”

[It’s okay.]

“Have you ever met a human wearing a dragon-patterned robe in the old days?”

[No.]

“I see. Sorry for disturbing. Keep thinking.”

[Okay…]

The ogre fell into thought again.

Se-min stepped down from the ogre’s body and kicked the bare ground.

“Just where is he?”

He gave up persuading the ogres. They rarely tried to leave the Starlight Mountain Range.

Although they agreed that Badurbarok was a bad guy and had to be punished, they did not want the Starlight Mountain Range to be destroyed.

To them, the Starlight Mountain Range was their mother.

“Mother Mountain range, please help me.”

Se-min muttered to himself and let out a sigh. Perhaps because it was frustrating, his talking to himself increased.

“I have to leave now…”

The time to leave the Starlight Mountain Range was approaching. Through Biryu, the other races kept sending information. Se-min also had to move.

He had to wage war even without the ogres.

A grim fight awaited him.

Imagining that time, he lifted Rufus.

He came all the way here to kill Badurbarok. Se-min gripped the handle while imagining the countless fights he would have to wage in the future. The time he could spend in peace like this was not much left.

Was his heart beating because he was waiting for that time, or was he inwardly afraid?

“Emperor. Meal is ready.”

From behind, Kubar’s voice was heard. Se-min slung the sword on his back again.

“Yeah. Let’s go, I’m hungry.”

“Still no outcome?”

“Yeah. None.”

Se-min muttered again.

“No outcome, no outcome…”

Just searching the mountain range did not guarantee finding the ogre. The only basis he had was Mukudu’s testimony.

Even that was not certain. His grandmaster just said so and left, and it was unknown whether such an ogre actually existed.

Han Su-in’s voice came to mind.

Earth was being destroyed moment by moment.

Han Su-in mentioned Kim Gyu-jin’s name. What happened to him?

Se-min shook off ominous thoughts. He was someone who would never die easily. Even if he died, what he had to do would not change.

“It’s time to leave. It’s already past.”

He stayed too long in the Starlight Mountain Range.

Goblins recaptured the Cloud Mountain Range and organized an army to prepare for a fight.

Orcs were subduing demonic beasts under Maktar’s command.

The ferryman of Hesse Island built a large ship to transport the trolls.

Sargassonia was the same. They gathered gladiators and soldiers to prepare for the final battle, waiting for the Emperor’s command.

Everyone was waiting for the Emperor’s command.

Even Badurbarok would be waiting for him.

“Kubar. You said Ilgar also joined, right?”

“He is with the war chief.”

“He must be waiting for me too.”

“Of course.”

“The ogres won’t leave the Starlight Mountain Range.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s time to leave.”

“Then…”

“I will give up on the ogres.”

Kubar nodded.

Se-min looked at the Orc’s grim face, chuckled, and tapped his shoulder. The Orc’s body was different in thickness, so the touch felt reassuring.

“It’s enough even without these guys.”

“Agree.”

“Let’s go beat those bastards to death.”

Se-min went toward the quarters where the party gathered with Kubar.

Since they stayed fairly long, they now had the shape of people living. Bonfire smoke was rising beyond the wall made by wrapping demonic beasts’ hides.

Se-min shouted and asked.

“Hey! What is the food today?”

Kaorak answered.

“Same as usual!”

“Let’s eat quickly. I’m hungry.”

Then there was a voice delivered to his head.

[I’m hungry too.]

It was Kububu’s voice.

Kububu was playing with his party members at Se-min’s quarters. Perhaps because he was just born, he was active unlike an ogre.

“Wait while I eat.”

[Hungry. Hungry. Hungry.]

“This brat.”

Se-min tried to scold Kububu solemnly, but remembering the time he mistook him for a cannibal ogre when he was just born, he decided to just make starlight.

“Here.”

Feeding Kububu periodically improved his Cosmic Style capability. If there was a benefit, this was it.

Se-min floated Rufus in the air and unfolded the Cosmic Style.

Shining dots were formed around the blade. It formed a galaxy and constructed celestial bodies. Where stars crowded, the Milky Way rose. The microcosm rotated slowly.

“Eat.”

[Thank you!]

Kububu sat by his side and absorbed the light with his entire body.

Kaorak laughed.

“Kik-kik, how about quitting being Emperor and becoming a nanny for ogres? Your feeding skill is getting better and better. Kik-kik.”

“Then why is your cooking skill still the same?”

“Talk after you try it!”

Se-min’s party sat around the bonfire and began their meal.

It was the demonic beast meat they always ate. It was tasty, but now it felt a bit tiring.

Se-min, who was tearing and swallowing the demonic beast meat heavily, opened his mouth.

“About persuading the ogres…”

Kaorak grumbled.

“They say a boss who talks about work during meals is the worst, and it’s exactly that shape.”

“Shut up.”

Se-min glared and continued speaking.

“It seems it won’t work. Let’s leave.”

The party nodded.

Everyone knew that Se-min had run around to find a way.

“Understood. It will be fine even without the ogres.”

“We have us. Those ogre guys are not very reliable.”

“Yeah. We are enough.”

Everyone warmly supported Se-min.

“Eve, everyone…”

Se-min, choked up, slurred his words, swallowed all the meat he was eating, and continued.

“You are overestimating yourselves. I need the ogres, not you, you bastards!”

“Damn bastard.”

“Then persuade the ogres well!”

“I’m doing this because it doesn’t work!”

Se-min flared up again in regret and tore the meat wildly.

He wanted to take the ogres.

It was just that they sat still like that, but if they got angry and started punching on the battlefield, most demonic beast armies would be massacred.

In the book read in Sargassonia, it was recorded that a small number of ogres who participated in the old war achieved tremendous results.

“If only those guys weren’t there, I would have coaxed at least a few.”

Se-min said while looking beyond the clouds. Gaigatus’s large body was faintly visible.

“Should we just detonate a few?”

“Are you confident you’ll survive?”

“Let’s decide that the person who loses rock-paper-scissors goes.”

“…”

Everyone shook their heads.

Kububu said.

[I’ll go with you.]

“Hey, you.”

Se-min shook his head.

Kububu was too young. Although they said other races and ogres are different, considering only age, Kububu was a baby. There is no system as bad as child soldiers, but that is the level of infant soldiers.

“You go find your dad. I cannot take you.”

[Then I cannot drink your starlight.]

“There are many stars in the sky. They say that has a deeper and more subtle taste. The words of adults are not wrong.”

[I don’t like it.]

“No way.”

Se-min shook his head.

Kububu did not care.

[I’ll follow.]

“You’ll get scolded.”

Se-min shook his head. He had already made up his mind. To stand against Badurbarok without the ogres.

[Give me more stars.]

“You’ll become obese if you do that.”

***

Se-min’s party decided to clean up the quarters they stayed in so far and leave the Starlight Mountain Range.

They exchanged greetings with Mukudu, Maladuk, and the ogres they became familiar with in turn.

[Sorry for not being able to help.]

“If you are sorry, follow me.”

[I cannot do that. Because the Starlight Mountain Range is our mother.]

“Yeah…”

The ogres wished Se-min good luck.

“I’ll come back to play after killing Badurbarok. Keep thinking hard until then.”

[There are many things to think about. Another thought-item was created.]

Se-min tapped Mukudu’s body.

And he descended the Starlight Mountain Range with the party.

Just as it was high, the way down was also long. Far away, the siege of the demonic beasts that pitched camp was visible.

Se-min went looking for the place where the front line was the most loose.

“They won’t let us go easily, though.”

“Let them come. I also won’t pass them easily. I’ll punish that bastard before going.”

Se-min ground his teeth while recalling Han Su-in’s black shape.

At one time, dreaming of admiring such a guy, he watched his videos all day to grow the dream of a Raider.

It was a meaningless thing. The worst bastard who became harmful to humanity was that guy.

“Let’s go.”

Se-min increased his speed.

Everyone followed Se-min.

“You are not falling behind because it’s too fast, right?”

“Of course!”

Se-min grinned.

Kubar was the strongest after Se-min as a practitioner, and Kaorak also had excellent combat capability as a goblin. Biryu was an excellent magician that Killa would recommend.

Shozen and Gulad grew greatly by being trained by Se-min, Kubar, and Kaorak.

It was a level where Se-min did not need to look after them.

“Then going faster.”

Se-min dashed.

His figure became a streak of light.

The siege formed by the demonic beasts did not become a problem to him.

The moment he rushed toward that place, Se-min felt that a black shadow was chasing him.

It was Han Su-in.

Se-min crashed into the swarm of demonic beasts as it was. The demonic beasts were blown away by the impact force.

The demonic beasts who sensed the anomaly began to gather at that place. Se-min lifted Rufus and swung it in a circle. The demonic beasts were all chopped and scattered.

Beyond that, Han Su-in’s sword flew aiming at Se-min.

After Se-min dodged it, he stabbed back against the sword path. His sword pierced Han Su-in’s shoulder. The black shape scattered, then gathered again at the dropped place.

[You must have given up.]

“Yeah. Because some guy interfered.”

[You may go.]

Han Su-in stepped back. The demonic beasts also hesitated and opened the exit.

[Since we just have to block the ogres, there is no need to fight, right?]

“Are you afraid?”

[Of course, if you say you will fight, I won’t avoid it.]

Black wings spread on Han Su-in’s back. A dark air current wavered. The surrounding air vibrated.

[Do you want it?]

Se-min contemplated.

Gradually, the demonic beasts that escorted Gaigatus at other areas came out and surrounded Se-min’s party.

The party members stood behind Se-min one by one. The number of demonic beasts was large. It might be better to pass like this.

“Fine.”

Se-min withdrew Rufus.

Han Su-in could be eliminated later.

“Since a place to fight properly will be prepared soon.”

[I’ll wait.]

Se-min walked in the direction where the path opened.

The demonic beasts lined up on the left and right watched Se-min. Since bizarrely shaped eyeballs stared blankly, he felt uncomfortable.

“Stop staring. You ugly guys.”

A few of the demonic beasts twisted their facial muscles, whether they understood human words.

“Just be quiet. Those guys’ expressions are grim. I don’t want to die.”

Kaorak reproached Se-min from behind.

They completely escaped from the Starlight Mountain Range and the siege of the demonic beasts like that.

The demonic beasts were still surrounding the Starlight Mountain Range. Se-min bit his lip while looking at that appearance.

He had achieved all the goals he targeted so far, but he failed to join the ogres.

Kubar asked.

“Is it regrettable?”

“It would be a lie to say it’s not regrettable.”

“What is to come will come and what is to go will go. Don’t harbor it.”

“Yeah.”

It was the moment they turned their bodies like that.

Se-min heard a scream that rang in his head. His head throbbed. The party members were all holding their heads.

“This is?”

Everyone looked back.

Among the demonic beasts, a body he had seen somewhere was caught in Han Su-in’s hand.

“Kububu!”

Kububu had followed behind them.

Se-min ran and shouted at Han Su-in.

“Put that guy down!”

Han Su-in shook his head while looking at Se-min.

[It would be okay to take about one ogre. It will become an excellent material.]

“If you do that, the ogres won’t stay still, though?”

[How would the ogres know?]

Han Su-in stretched out his hand. Then darkness spread and covered the area.

[They won’t even know where and how this ogre disappeared. They’ll just think he is stuck somewhere in thought. Just as it always was.]

As Se-min lifted Rufus, Han Su-in mocked.

[Are you going to fight because of this single ogre? For a guy who blustered that he wouldn’t choose means and methods, you are indeed human-like. If you want, I will give you death.]

The demonic beasts turned to Se-min’s party all at once.

Se-min gripped Rufus.

Han Su-in’s words were right. If it was just escaping, it would be fine, but if they fought to rescue Kububu, the other party members would be in danger.

He was the one who even lured the demonic beasts’ attacks to draw in the Orcs. As a result, the Grand Marino Forest disappeared.

Since he gave up on the ogres, it would be better to just turn around.

However, Se-min could not leave.

“Everyone go first.”

Se-min said to the party. Kubar shook his head.

“Emperor, it is dangerous.”

“I’ll bring that guy. You know me. I can do it.”

“If so…”

Kubar raised his fist.

“I will remain too. The rest go first.”

His expression was solemn. The party let out a sigh. Kaorak, who was watching that, said.

“Kubar, it is dangerous.”

“I will help the Emperor. I am Kubar. No problem.”

“If so, I will remain too. The rest leave. Kik.”

As Kaorak declared, this time Gulad spoke.

“Kaorak, it is dangerous. If so, I too…”

Se-min shouted.

“Ah, just everyone get lost!”

Gulad coughed.

“Why are you shouting? I got it. Then I will withdraw for now.”

“Yeah. Kaorak, you also disappear with them.”

“I can fight too!”

“You are in the way. Kubar is fine. The two of us will handle this place.”

“Kik… understood. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll slip away if it gets dangerous.”

Se-min and Kubar remained and confronted the demonic beasts.

Kububu was still held in Han Su-in’s hand. Kububu distorted his face and struggled.

[Let go of me!]

Kububu’s telepathy shook the area.

The demonic beasts tilted their bodies and took a step back. Each time Kububu screamed, a mental wave spread.

[Don’t do futile things.]

Black energy flowed from Han Su-in’s body and wrapped around Kububu. Kububu could no longer scream telepathy and stopped as he was.

A demonic beast crawled out and cast a skin-membrane on Kububu. It then changed its shape at will and wrapped Kububu. It was a sight like a spider wrapping its prey with cobwebs.

“Put Kububu down, Han Su-in.”

Se-min said as he took a step closer.

He was already in a fighting stance.

A powerful aura was discharged streak by streak. Murderous intent was exuded in each breath. The Tai Chi Accord was struggling on the blade, searching for the enemy.

[Good. Lord Badurbarok said not to kill you specifically.]

Se-min raised his eyebrows. He knew Badurbarok recognized him, but it was the first time hearing a specific mention.

Badurbarok was like an invisible enemy, so trying to face him felt like fumbling in the air.

“What did that bastard say? Did he tell you to run away because you are no match?”

[He said you are not worth killing, so I should wait until you gather the insects. He said it would be convenient to eradicate you all at once.]

“Hahaha.”

Se-min chuckled.

And he kicked the ground and rushed in.

He had thought provocation was his role so far, but he got angry at what he just heard.

Yeah, he was angry.

Se-min swung a sharp aura at Han Su-in.

The air was torn and a sound of breaking the wind broke out. The demonic beasts in the way turned to pieces of flesh, causing a blood fountain.

At the end of it, Se-min’s aura and Han Su-in’s black air current collided. The earth’s axis vibrated.

The two launched their next attacks as soon as their attacks were blocked. In the aftermath, demonic beasts were sliced and piece of corpse scattered.

With the flying pieces of flesh as the background, Se-min and Han Su-in glared at each other.

The Raider who was praised as the best by humanity, and the last Raider of humanity clashed their swords.

The contest of strength did not last long.

Se-min pushed Han Su-in’s sword and shook it off. Han Su-in’s body split once and joined again.

“If you were still human, you would have died to me several times. Right?”

[The human body is weak.]

At that moment, Han Su-in’s black air current hit Se-min’s body.

He rolled on the ground without being able to prepare. His bones rang. Se-min staggered and rose. Because the impact accumulated, it was hard to block Han Su-in’s attack flying again.

He lifted Rufus.

Although he blocked the attack, his side and ribs rang. Se-min sat down again. He kept being pushed back in a half-hovering posture.

[Because it only takes once to die for a human.]

Han Su-in’s sword was lifted high in the sky.

The sun was shining beyond the blade. However, the darkness did not scatter even in the sunlight, but rather cast a backlight and fell aiming at Se-min.

Se-min disappeared.

The ground was dented.

Se-min retreated back in an instant. The energy of the Cosmic Style rose from his body. The harmony of all things and the principle of the universe protected his body.

“Kubar! Are you okay!”

Kubar was fighting hard among the demonic beasts. He tried to go to Kububu, but the demonic beasts kept surrounding him, so it did not seem easy.

He let out a shout instead of a reply.

“Graaaaaah!”

“You are okay!”

Se-min glanced at Kububu. Kububu was drooping powerlessly while surrounded by the skin-membrane.

Se-min shouted.

“Kububu!”

Kububu lifted his eyes. He looked pitiful. Se-min dodged Han Su-in’s attacks and shouted again.

“Are you getting beaten up!”

After scolding Kububu, he counterattacked Han Su-in. After parrying the sword aiming at his neck, he dug inside and struck Han Su-in’s body with his shoulder. Han Su-in’s shape blurred.

Se-min glared at Han Su-in and swung his sword. His concentration blurred slightly.

It meant that damage was accumulating.

Se-min shouted out loud.

“If you escape from there, I’ll make as many stars as you want to drink!”

Kububu’s eyes opened.

“You are an ogre, punk! You can beat up guys like that!”

[Can I hurt others?]

“You do the same to the guys who hurt you!”

Kububu hesitated. Se-min ground his teeth and swung Rufus. Han Su-in was pushed back. Se-min shouted again.

“If you stay like that, Kubar and I are in danger too!”

Kububu nodded and firmed his expression.

Sensing something, the demonic beast that was capturing Kububu tightened the skin-membrane further.

[Sorry.]

Kububu said so.

And.

The demonic beast exploded.

The gaze of the battlefield gathered at that place. Even Han Su-in looked back.

The rock-like ogre, Kububu walked out leisurely. The flesh of the demonic beast was caught in his hand.

[Did I hit too hard?]

Kububu scratched his head.

The demonic beasts hesitated for an instant, then rushed at Kububu again, pushed by Han Su-in’s shouting.

Kububu, who was shrinking back as if embarrassed, lifted his fist and swung. The demonic beasts exploded.

“Hey, Kubar.”

“What is it.”

“Doesn’t he fight better than you?”

“It, it is not to that extent.”

Kubar shook his head and punched the back of the head of the demonic beast standing beside him, popping it. Se-min said.

“Yeah, work hard. Or you’ll lose number two.”

As Kububu joined the fight, the combat situation changed.

Se-min glared at Han Su-in. He watched Kububu’s activity and clicked his tongue.

[Tsk.]

“Did you have a tongue?”

[Noisy.]

Han Su-in’s figure suddenly disappeared, then appeared beside Kububu. Han Su-in hit Kububu. Kububu blocked it, but his body was pushed back.

Blades pierced various places of Kububu’s body. Although they were not cut, as if impact accumulated, Kububu shrank and was repeatedly driven into defense. Because he was not familiar with combat, pain was unfamiliar.

Se-min tried to go to Han Su-in, but demonic beasts clung. They clung even though he cut them. Se-min ground his teeth.

“Kububu! Fight!”

[Yeah!]

Kububu also did not stay still. The guy who was just getting hit began to rebel against Han Su-in.

Kubar also rushed in.

“I wanted to fight you once!”

It was the first time Han Su-in and Kubar fought.

Han Su-in could not behave leisurely like when he dealt with Kububu. Kubar’s punches were fast and light. A neck-and-neck battle continued.

As Kububu occasionally lent a hand, Han Su-in was even pushed back.

[Although I didn’t intend to use this guy.]

Han Su-in muttered like that and flew into the sky.

He let out something like a whistle. At first it was high, then it changed to a low bass that vibrated the cave. The sound gradually became bizarre.

And in step with that, something was approaching.

“That is.”

Se-min could feel it.

It was something stronger than Han Su-in.

Soon what appeared before them was a presence he had seen in the past.

An Orc polluted by Badurbarok.

However, it was more bizarre than the individual seen back then.

The body was larger, and a materialized black aura dragged to the floor from the entire body. The eyes were all black without whites.

It was a shape as if the Orc turned to a demonic beast, then a part of the body changed to a black darkness like Han Su-in again.

The two axes held in both hands squirmed like living things, rolling their eyes to find prey.

[Obey.]

At Han Su-in’s voice, the Orc looked up at him.

Han Su-in let out the strange whistle sound more strongly.

[Obey.]

The Orc ground his teeth and growled fiercely, then shook his head and let out a groan again. And he knelt.

It was a sight like an untamed beast being forced to yield.

[Defeat those guys.]

Han Su-in commanded.

Where he pointed, Kubar and Kububu were there.

The Orc rose from his seat.

Se-min shouted.

“Escape!”

Something is different about that.

It was a dangerous presence. Those two cannot stand against it.

Se-min tried to cross the demonic beasts, but before he knew it, Han Su-in blocked the front of Se-min.

[I deal with you.]

“Isn’t the opponent reversed?”

[If that guy deals with you, a problem occurs. Lord Badurbarok said not to kill you.]

It meant that if that Orc dealt with Se-min, Se-min would die.

[Those two may die.]

Se-min ground his teeth.

There was no way.

He would eliminate this guy.

He raised the Tai Chi Accord with all his might. The Cosmic Style circled around his entire body. The air current rotated and swept the surrounding demonic beasts. The caught individuals were torn to pieces.

Se-min aimed Rufus straight.

Han Su-in smirked.

***

Kubar gripped his fist.

He was a practitioner. He walked a path. Although he could not know what lay at the end of it, he did not doubt that there would be something great.

Although he was caught in the journey of meeting the Emperor and saving the world, after all things ended, he would continue his training to reach the end of the path again.

“Pathetic.”

To him, the distorted appearance of that Orc caused a feeling of vomiting.

That Orc had no place to go further.

That was the end of that presence.

The end of the path.

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

Kubar could know that that Orc was a practitioner in life. The trace of martial arts learned under the Elder Orc was nested in the black energy.

The Orc did not open his mouth. It might be that he could not speak. He just glared at Kubar with black eyes and emitted a terrible killing intent.

The two axes he held opened their mouths and drooled.

“Kububu, escape.”

[No.]

“I’m not caring for you. You are in the way.”

[Still…]

“You are disturbing.”

[Understood.]

“Return to the mountain range.”

[I don’t want that.]

“Then at least escape this place.”

[I will. What about Kubar?]

“I will eliminate that guy, and follow with the Emperor.”

[Will you really be okay?]

Kubar clenched his fist. Martial arts extended from his body.

“Kububu, does that guy look strong?”

Kubar grinned and revealed his fangs.

“You saw wrong. That guy is weak.”