A Veteran in a Dead Game - Chapter 202



Only Krnovel

202. Civil War (3)

Kyle wants to be mine?

This statement caught even Kyle off guard, as it was something he had never even imagined.

“You’ve faced the demons multiple times and survived. You’ve even returned safely from the Demon King’s domain. Wouldn’t that be impossible without the Demon King’s protection?”

That’s wrong.

Even if the Demon King really did offer Kyle to become a mine and rule the world together forever, Kyle would reject it without any hesitation or reservation.

“The Demon King has taken over half of the world. How many dungeons, items, and resources are left there? With that, it’s easy to create one or two powerful users.”

It doesn’t make sense.

As Saladan said, the Demon King occupies half of the continent. No one would object to the Demon King being the richest man on the continent.

Judging from the fact that many orcs with skills are being mass-produced, it is clear that they have secured many dungeons.

“The user who will be made into a mine in the future. The person chosen for that position, isn’t that you?

In other words, isn’t the ‘patron’ that Kyle mentioned earlier the Demon King? That was Saladan’s guess. If the Demon King really was the sponsor, then it would also explain Kyle’s surprisingly fast growth.

however.

“You don’t mean that, do you?”

“Are you saying that’s not true?”

“What you just said is weak evidence. Don’t you think it’s strange? I’ve killed several mines.”

And that’s not all.

When the Demon King’s army was making a large-scale attack on Tese, Kyle summoned a monster called Nidhogg and wiped out a portion of the Demon King’s army.

Thanks to that, we were able to help countless people, including members of the Regeneration Society, escape.

Moreover, there was a time when orcs and mines came to kill Kyle. The Demon King himself even swung the holy sword at Kyle.

If you still think Kyle is under the Demon King’s command after seeing all that… well, it’s hard to say that’s the right decision.

“Well, I know it’s a weak argument, but I just thought you might be undergoing some kind of test, just like me.”

“A test?”

“The vampires made me an offer. They promised me a high-ranking position if I proved my worth. They put their pride and dignity on the line, so they’ll keep their word.”

“Was the destruction of the Rebirth Society included in the proof of value?”

Kyle’s gaze dropped.

Kyle also highly values ​​survival, but that doesn’t mean he can look upon this kind of betrayal favorably.

No, this wasn’t even a matter of survival. If it was just about surviving, there was no need to betray the rebirth. You could just lock yourself in some other dungeon.

To become the dominant position. Desire, to live forever.

In the end, the reason Saladan chose to betray was… simply to express his primal desires.

“The vampire has one more requirement.”

“what?”

“It’s you, Kyle. They want you killed… or dragged into the disaster as a byproduct.”

The vampires suffered considerable damage from the tidal wave that Kyle brought in, which also ruined the vampire lord’s first great step in a hundred years.

So, it wouldn’t be strange that Kyle was specifically targeted. The reason Kyle did this when he entered the ark was probably to fulfill the vampire’s demands.

“I didn’t want to antagonize you either. But, consider what you’ve done so far. You’re a bundle of variables. I don’t want to deal with that kind of uncertainty.”

Saladan’s concerns were not unfounded.

Because Kyle had the skills to help the Regeneration Society escape with at least some power remaining while avoiding the Plague Riders.

furthermore.

At this very moment, a means to block the conquest of the ‘Ark’ dungeon has also come to mind.

But, funny enough, the starting point was provided by Saladan himself. As he kept hearing about disaster, a method came to mind.

Of course, you’ll have to try it yourself to find out if it works.

“That’s why I came all the way here. I thought that if we were in a similar situation, I wouldn’t have to fight with you. I happened to have the chance, so I brought it up… but it seems I guessed the wrong answer.”

“How absurd. Becoming a byproduct of a disaster is no different from your current death. You should know that.”

Or, you could say that it is like being born as a new being using the corpse of a dead person as its placenta.

Look at the mines and the vampires.

They still have memories left in their human bodies, but those memories feel more like records than direct experiences.

If I had to make a comparison, it would be like the feeling of watching a movie I saw a long time ago.

In the midst of all this, the only emotion that can remain in your heart is hatred for humanity. As a result, you only feel as if the memories related to hatred are your own.

“In the end, even my emotions will be subordinated to the system.”

Kyle didn’t want to fall that far.

“I guess that depends on how you think about it.”

However, Saladan doesn’t seem to think so.

“The body and memories are still intact, so is it really right to say that it’s death? Of course, I’m not happy about that either. But… it’s better than dying and disappearing.”

“…….”

“Besides, I have an alternative. The result of the fusion of two disasters… I will complete the experiment and be reborn as a new being.”

As Saladan said, they were a new species.

It might be possible. The being that fused the two disasters was a monster of a type that even Kyle had never seen before.

However, that possibility was not a reason for Kyle to take Saladan’s hand. It was nothing more than an extremely unsettling possibility.

Above all, Kyle did not trust Saladan. How much of what Saladan said was true and sincere? It was unknown.

“As the Ark neared completion, its limitations became more apparent. At best, it was a seed bank. I wanted to give my descendants a better future, or at least the opportunity to do so.”

“…….”

“Rather than being confined in a confined space like an ark, wouldn’t it be better to seek opportunities in the open land? Livestock that are free to roam are more likely to find freedom than livestock that are confined in a barn. That’s the path I want to take.”

Kyle didn’t answer.

“You don’t have to do anything. Just do nothing. My colleagues and I will be grateful that the variable called God just stays quiet.”

Saladan exuded confidence, an ugly confidence that his betrayal would succeed, as long as the variable known as Kyle did not intervene.

“You are a talent too good to die in a place like this. Please make a wise decision.”

The piece of paper that contained Saladan’s words lost its strength and fell to the floor. Kyle stepped on it with his foot and laughed in vain.

“That’s a wise decision.”

Because Saladan’s words about it being a gift for future generations and such are nothing but a deception.

It’s not even funny. Does someone who wants to kill all of his colleagues who have been with him for nearly 100 years just to become a byproduct of a disaster really care about the future of humanity?

If you really had such concerns and worries, your priority would have been to share your research results with your colleagues and find a better way.

Perhaps Saladan did not expect Kyle to believe such words. He merely gave him a plausible excuse for betrayal.

Kyle decided to give an immediate answer to Saladan’s proposal.

Actions speak louder than words.

*

Central Tower. The center of the ark city, standing alone while other buildings fly through the sky.

Kyle jumped vertically up the wall of the building and reached the roof.

“You came.”

“You’re late.”

There were already three members of the regeneration group there, gathered at Kyle’s request.

Kyle nodded briefly and took his place among the members of the regeneration group.

“Let’s get started right away.”

First, Mael, one of the three, placed a hand on Kyle’s shoulder.

3rd level skill, wide area.

This skill increases the range of a skill. Since the range of a skill with direct destructive power cannot be increased, it is usually used for buffs, debuffs, or exploration skills.

“So, what are you trying to do?”

Meanwhile, Sarah also finished her preparations. She placed a few items around Kyle. It was something that resembled an antenna or a satellite dish.

And lastly.

“It’s my first time seeing you. It’s Aron.”

The third member of the regeneration group, Aron, took out an item in the shape of an eyeball.

None other than the sacred item, Odin’s lost eye.

The item with the golden pupil stared straight at Kyle, indicating that the preparations Kyle had instructed were complete.

Kyle slowly came to terms with his ‘dream’ as he looked down at the dizzying scenery of the Ark City with sunken eyes.

Dream eating.

A skill that releases the power of the earthquake that eats dreams, however weak it may be. Even the most sophisticated Saladan would never have imagined that Kyle would be surrounded by the power of disaster.

Doo-woong-

A colorless wave spread out in a circle, starting from Kyle, as if sweeping across the entire city.

It was the result of Mael’s wide-area skill, some items prepared by Sera, and the assistance of Odin’s lost eye.

It’s a power that has never been revealed to the outside world until now…

There’s no point in hiding it until the moment it’s needed.

Sarah looked at Kyle with surprised rabbit eyes.

“This is…”

She had also participated in the dream-eating earthquake suppression, so she was well aware of the waves that seemed to pass by, slightly shaking this space.

Even though Sarah must have had many questions, she didn’t say anything else. She knew that Kyle had more pressing matters to focus on than satisfying her own curiosity.

However, she gave Kyle a confused look. However, even that look did not last long.

Soon, somewhere the wave caused by the Dream Eating skill reached, an explosion occurred with a “Koo-ung” sound.

“Over there.”

Someone responded to the dream eating. The dream Kyle created was none other than the members of the Regeneration Society.

From the traitor’s perspective, it must have seemed like the former comrade he had betrayed had suddenly appeared next to him. The explosion a moment ago was the result of an attack fired while possessed by that dream.

‘It was easier to solve than I thought.’

The stronger the spirit and willpower, the easier it is to resist dream eating. Since the members of the Regeneration Society have such virtues, I planned to repeat dream eating several times, but I got caught in one attempt.

It seems that even among the traitors, there was someone who felt a little guilty. That must have created a gap in their hearts.

“let’s go.”

The members of the regeneration group immediately ran in the direction where the reaction occurred.

*

“Things have gone wrong.”

Saladan frowned. Suddenly, he was seeing things, and one of his well-hidden comrades was discovered and started fighting.

Above all, the score that had been steadily increasing suddenly stopped rising at some point.

This meant that there was a major problem with Saladan’s plans.

There is still a chance. Since we have prepared a lot for today, there is still an 80% chance that we will be able to clear the dungeon. At least that is what Saladan calculated.

but.

It was also clear that the possibility of defeat was as high as the possibility of victory. The plan that was thought to be infallible was now likely to fail.

Saladan instinctively noticed the cause of this anomaly.

“Kyle.”

It was definitely the work of an outsider.

“I don’t even know what the hell they did.”

Saladan frowned slightly. He was seeing something that did not exist in this place. It was none other than the appearance of the member of the Rebirth Society that he had betrayed.

“It feels like I’m dreaming.”

It was just a rumor, but what Saladan said was correct. That was actually what happened because of Kyle’s ‘dream’.

“Hmm.”

Since we don’t know the means, it is difficult to cope. The success rate, which is believed to be 80%, is likely to be even lower in reality.

But Saladan did not show any irritation or anger, as such emotions would not help improve the situation.

Instead, he calmly went through the process he had prepared.

He poisoned the entire ark with the poison cloud skill he had prepared, and caused an explosion by detonating the installed items. It was an effort to somehow cause chaos in the ark and buy time.

As such, there were many things prepared.

There is still a lot left. I have even prepared insurance for the insurance. Even if I fail a few more times in the future, I will still be fine.

So, if I continue to conquer the dungeon like this…

“It won’t be okay, right?”

Even if Kyle gets through this crisis once, there’s no guarantee that he won’t do something again. He’s already shown his extraordinary side on several occasions.

There was no law that said it couldn’t happen this time either.

Do you think Saladan would have tried to persuade Kyle by saying such nonsense?

The decision was quick.

“Everyone, listen up.”

Saladan conveyed his will to those who shared his views.

“There’s no point in hanging on to something that won’t work. I’ll give up and get out. If you’ve prepared anything, use it all now. I’ll take advantage of the confusion and force it through in one go.”

Standing up from his seat, Saladan took a glass bottle out of his bosom.

The bottle was filled with a dark red liquid. It was a foul-looking blood with black hairs and silver spots floating around.

“I hope I don’t have to write anything.”