For What? (1) and For What? (2)
“This fight… I don’t know if I’ll fit in.”
While the ceremony was being prepared, Shatin asked using the spirit conversation he had just taught me.
In his usual robot-like voice.
“What are you talking about?”
“I lost my power… I don’t think it will be very helpful.”
“what? That sound again?」
Ha ha, Hyun clicked his tongue and laughed.
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll take care of it.”
“Yes… Did you?」
During a brief conversation, a huge magic circle was completed that covered the canyon.
Woo woo woo.
At that moment, the new models of Vahimir, Rublen, Marblen, and Shatin glowed red.
Magic to register five as players. From now on, new rules will be applied to the players in the giant magic circle.
“Because if everything goes according to plan, we can’t lose.”
Hyun had told the Duke, Mablelen, and Rublen about the plan in advance.
I didn’t think that NPCs with strong egos would follow the user’s detailed instructions.
Even if you pretend to follow, when the important moment comes, you will move according to your experience or your own judgment.
So Hyun asked them to do only ‘defense’.
“I still can’t believe it. How can you hope for victory without attacking… !”
“quietly.”
Rublen’s displeasure erupted, but the atmosphere of Bahimir calmed her voice.
But the duke’s faith was only once. Hyun could not be relieved because he would disappear as soon as he was defeated.
Instantly, Shatin started talking to me.
“Where am I supposed to protect…? ?」
“no. You are an attack.”
“attack… Are you talking about me alone?”
“okay. everything depends on you How do you feel?”
“yet… I do not know.”
“Look closely, you’ll find out soon.”
Pod!
The translucent membrane that ran across the fortresses on both sides disappeared.
It signals the start of sequence expression.
Kyrrrrrr! As the vanguard of the undead marched from both fortresses, the canyon was filled with a deafening roar.
The ranking ceremony of dukes, which had been going on for hundreds of years, changed little by little according to the times, but the only thing that remained unchanged was that glory was given to victory and shame was left to defeat.
Dukes are those who seek overwhelming power. Because they are mad for the glory.
Hyun quickly glanced at the status window again before moving.
Sha Tin (Lv.391)
Durability: 203/8930
(※Caution: The durability of the core is very low! If all are consumed, it will be permanently destroyed!)
Stamina: 891480/891480
Mana: 9420/9420
Magi: 324300 (+306800)/324300 (+306800)
[Most of the performance has decreased due to damage to the magic circle!]
[Strength 958 (+106)] [Agility 731 (-204)] [HP 25100 (-22820)] [HP 1044 (-102)]
<Skill List>
[Jet-black blade Lv.5 (-2)]
[Damage Reduction Lv.4(-2)]
[Magic Cycle Lv.9(-2)]
[Leap of Mist Lv.2 (Unavailable)]
Shatin, who should have been firmly guarding the dark side by now, lost her past glory because she cut off her own flesh five years ago.
Excluding passives and buffs, there is only one actual active skill, ‘Jet-black Blade’.
Compared to the duke’s numerous named subordinates, he was pitifully weak.
Nevertheless, Hyun chose Sha Tin as his player.
Because even with her, I was sure of victory.
Also, because I wanted to remind her of her values!
‘He was a guy who knew how to run a small business.’
The strategy of the opposing duke has already been analyzed several times.
To use Genie’s term, split operation.
It is only consistent with defense, and sometimes it means sending detached troops to the side at the timing of gaining momentum.
While the players are resurrected even if they die, the damage inflicted on the fortress by the detached unit is not restored, so the damage accumulates over time.
If the fort’s defense tower or even the summoning circle is destroyed, it will be unable to cope with even the ‘troops’ that are not players.
Since Vahmir was a style focused only on frontal combat, Genie’s analysis that he could lose in the ranking ceremony was not wrong.
‘Even though it wasn’t a high level.’
Against the opponent’s split, what Hyun has prepared is a terrorist operation.
It was a strategy that put the top priority on destroying major facilities, including opponent’s defense towers and summoning circles, at the risk of death.
‘Excluding the individual specifications, even if we compare only the operation, this side is much more advantageous!’
Since the split operation is relatively light on defense, it becomes easier for the opponent to penetrate the gap.
In addition, the golem race has the property of dealing multiple damage to buildings and structures.
Hyun, together with Sha Tin, decided that there was no possibility of losing the ranking ceremony even if he committed suicide.
‘Is durability the problem… .’
<Durability: 203/8930>
Durability is another life for a golem.
The more intense techniques are used, the more Shatin’s durability will decrease.
The magic circle on the battlefield only preserves physical strength, so Hyun had to be careful not to use up Shatin’s durability.
‘Because there’s no problem in destroying buildings without using skills. It’s better to use only flat attacks.’
Another thing, I asked Shatin in advance about the part where there might be a problem.
“It might hurt a little, but are you okay?”
“Why… ?」
“I might die many times.”
“I’m sick… I don’t know what it is.”
‘Does that mean it’s okay?’
If there is no pain because it is a golem, there will be no need to feel burdened by suicide terrorism.
I don’t know if that’s a good thing.
After preparing like that, Hyun brought out the management strategy passed down from Ginny.
Once, twice, three times… .
In exchange for Shatin’s life, the fort’s defense tower and summoning magic circle began to be destroyed.
At first glance, it is an incomprehensible act of giving out ‘kill points’ for free, but since the Duke has been informed of this, there will be no major misunderstanding.
‘Okay, it works just as I thought!’
Every time Shatin died, the enemy fortress was taking a little damage.
At the beginning of the battle, it would be just a scratch, but in the later half of the battle, it would become a fatal wound that would not heal easily.
Victory or defeat in the ranking ceremony depended solely on Shatin’s movements.
Watching the war situation gradually decline, Hyun called Shatin.
It was to ask how you felt about your performance.
“When am I going to fight… ?」
“What are you talking about? I’m still fighting.”
“ah… Were you fighting?”
But for some reason Shatin’s reaction was lukewarm.
Hyeon urged her answer once again.
“Don’t you feel anything? Right now you’re rocking the battlefield by yourself.”
“… I do not know.”
Shatin still shook her head.
As a golem, does she lack the intelligence to understand the operation?
Then it might be natural that he couldn’t read the current situation.
Just when Hyeon was about to move on, Shatin’s mouth opened again.
“But I think I know one thing… .」
“What?”
“you… Why did you choose me?”
Shatin’s next words pierced the strings.
“Are you trying to find something useful for me?”
right.
The twin golems were horribly destroyed after giving their bodies to protect the darkness.
They thought the darkness left because they lost their power and became useless.
Also, since it is a tool without a soul, it was believed that the darkness would not seek it again.
Hyun was thinking of making Shatin active at the ranking ceremony to regain her confidence.
I just realized that I had overlooked something very important.
“There is no need to forcefully prove my soul… doesn’t exist.”
Shatin was much smarter than I thought.
Enough to read the human mind through fairy tales.
“You… Don’t you know that I have no soul?”
ah… ? For a moment, the movement of the string stopped. Because I fully understood the meaning of it.
“I thought I didn’t have your soul… ?」
“Isn’t that what you were thinking just now…?” ? If not… Maybe I misunderstood.”
mind read
Shatin was aware of the fact that he was treated as an NPC.
In fact, Hyeon subconsciously regarded Sha Tin as a golem with slightly better artificial intelligence. Louise treated Shatin in a different way from the way she treated Ain.
I didn’t know that such thoughts would come through.
Besides, even now, Hyun’s thoughts were leaking through fairy tales.
“You don’t have to feel so sorry… I can’t feel emotions… You don’t have to tell white lies.”
“No, I… .”
“Even now. Because my body is so broken… Isn’t that the only thing you can do about dying? ?」
“It’s not like that… .”
“But I want to know this without any lies.”
Shatin repeated the question from when they first met.
“As long as the darkness is alive… Is it true?」
For some reason, Hyun felt hot.
Did he himself doubt her even though he was carrying Shatin himself?
Or maybe it was just because of the quest that he was caught trying to help Shatin.
“It’s true.”
“okay… If that’s all for sure… The rest is fine even if it’s a lie.”
“no. It’s not a lie”
Hyun cut her off in the middle.
“That you are useful, that you have a soul, it is all true.”
“yes… ? But you don’t have to tell such a lie… .」
Shatin paused for a moment before muttering again.
“A lie… isn’t it… ?」
“… … .”
“A lie… that it’s not… How do you know… ?」
Hyun smiled bitterly. He must have just read his mind through fairy tales.
Even so, Shatin still doubted his words.
No matter how much I tell her, she will always be suspicious. until you realize it yourself.
“after… If you do this, what you learned in two days will be useless.”
Hyun grumbled like he was talking to himself.
However, it was a complaint mixed with a relieved laugh in his voice.
“Yeah, I know what’s wrong.”
Being chosen as a player, winning this fight through him… Such things cannot dispel Shatin’s suspicions.
When you think about it, it was natural. The feeling of quietly watching the sight of oneself being used as a tool… Rather, it would be nice if you didn’t drop your own value.
Not to be a useful tool, but to be a useful being.
That is probably the reason Shatin pursued the soul.
“Let’s change the way.”
Hyun looked over the battlefield.
Although he had the upper hand, he was still not close to a perfect victory.
If we let go of management here, there might be a turnaround.
Still, Hyun decided to trust Shatin.
Just like he trusted Ain, like he comforted Louise.
“You fight.”
“I am… I don’t know how to fight… .”
Shatin even had a glimpse of the fact that Hyun was ‘operating’.
I was afraid because I didn’t have the confidence to follow the same method.
「How did you fight when protecting the darkness? Just do it like back then.”
“Like that day… .」
“If things go wrong, I’ll help you from time to time.”
Hyun decided to clear his head of calculations for a while.
Even if the result of the ranking ceremony was not a perfect victory, but a narrow decision victory, even if the duke’s faith weakened a little because of it.
Regardless of the quest, I was thinking of making Shatin realize his worth.
“After fighting for yourself, judge whether you are worthless.”
“directly… You mean?」
“Yeah, I won’t move anymore.”
“But if you lose because of me… .」
“Then you lose. How about it, now you feel like everything depends on you?」
Of course, he would help invisibly, but he didn’t bother to mention it.
In an instant, Hyun realized that Shatin’s weak feelings were burning little by little.
Yeah, I was fooled by this. A golem’s emotions are much weaker than a human’s.
However, it moved calmly and slowly, only the direction was clear. This must be the characteristic of the golem race.
[Durability: 183]
Hyun had barely used Shatin’s skills.
Skills consume durability quickly.
There was no way to restore durability right away, so it was to avoid using excessive force.
But now, Shatin’s first skill was activated.
Magi cycle.
Roaring! Shatin’s body began to burn with demonic energy.
The golem’s creaking magic circle was filled with hot energy.
Of course, because Shatin is terribly broken, he won’t be able to perform as well as he did in the past.
‘The wavelength of neutralization, the wavelength of amplification.’
Now that she has the best supporter attached to her, there was no problem.
Assimilation could directly take the initiative, but it was also a perfect skill to assist the opponent who took the initiative.
Reading the other person’s intentions and perfectly assisting them.
Isn’t that the most important virtue of a supporter?
‘huh?’
Kung, Kung, Hyun was startled when Sha Tin suddenly started running somewhere.
Her own expectations that she, a golem, would of course focus on an all-out war, were wrong.
‘You’re going to continue the operation?!’
Shatin moves as if it is continuing the operation so far.
However, seeing her recklessly crossing enemy lines made Hyun’s whole body jump.
‘No, that’s not it!’
It was because Shatin only followed the action of ‘destroying the main facilities of the fortress’, because he realized that he could not operate by reading the situation around him.
In a word, Shatin is only copying the shell of the current operation.
Inevitably, there is no choice but to be exposed to the threat of the enemy’s troops and watchtowers.
‘Huh, that’s right, a supporter is the one who covers unexpected actions like this!’
A mistake that could lead to death.
However, Hyun had the ability to turn that mistake into a move of conversion.
Transparency, acceleration!
Ugh, as the two skills wrapped around Shatin, the earth-shattering golem jumped over the dense defenses and reached the inside of the fortress in an instant.
Even the summoning magic circle, the most important structure of the sequence ceremony.
‘Drilled!’
When the invisibility is broken and Shatin’s figure is finally revealed.
Flash! At that time, the demonic blade had already been fired from Shatin’s greatsword.
[Jet-black blade Lv.5 (-2)]
-Shoots a sword attack that deals damage equal to [Strength] X [Magic]/1000 in front!
-When used with maximum magic, you can change the direction of the blade once!
(Mag consumption: 5000~50000)
(Cooldown: 30 seconds)
Quadd deed, the black half-moon grew bigger and bigger, and soon became huge enough to scrape the ground.
The defense tower and the deployed troops were cut in half at once by the Magi’s blade, which was like a giant axe.
But the attack did not end there.
‘This is the maximum demonic activation… !’
At the same time Shatin stirred the air with his greatsword, the crescent moon that had been shot forward was bent vertically.
The half moon was exactly parallel to the boundary of the fortress and even destroyed the barriers on the wall.
[Durability 161]
‘I’m still fine… .’
With a single skill, the durability was reduced by nearly 20 points.
Although he deserved to feel a little nervous, Hyun did not stop Shatin from doing so.
This will also be a process for her to prove herself.
‘It could be a little dangerous if we keep fighting like this.’
Even if it didn’t move directly, the strings gave direction.
Don’t let her durability run out in a fierce fight.
“When the cooldown time comes… … No, when the power gathers again, destroy the defense tower first.”
“You mean the black towers around you… ?」
“that’s right.”
On the other hand, he used the communication function of the magic circle to ask Bahimir.
It was to create the optimal environment for Shatin to rampage.
“From now on, focus on the frontal attack!”
Before long, Bahimir’s answer came.
“hmm? Wasn’t your plan consistent with defense?”
“I just changed!”
“Kuhuh, that’s good. It was boring.”
If the Duke and his subordinates shake the front, Shatin’s burden will be much less.
‘Laugh, Shadow Shield.’
Kaga River! Hyun reacted to the suddenly thrown javelins.
Shatin was already in the middle of enemy lines, and the elite troops of the fortress gathered to capture her.
“Fight against the wall.”
“wall… ?」
“It’s on the left!”
Even in a crisis situation, Hyun did not directly control his body.
It only reduces damage with a shadow shield or clears the way forward with a wind barrier.
Sometimes it was all about ‘priority to attack’.
Such instruction was possible because he could read Shatin’s intentions through his gaze.
Booung!
Shatin broke through the encirclement of the enemies for an instant with a large sword.
Right after leaving the danger zone, I was able to contemplate the battlefield for a while.
Suddenly, Shatin put her hand near her chest.
Because I had the illusion that I could feel something nearby.
‘soul… ?’
Suddenly, a question came to mind.
The golem’s core is contained in its head, not its chest.
But why did he just try to put his hand on his chest?
However, because of Hyun’s cry, I couldn’t hold my doubts for long.
“Look behind you!”
Shatin’s hand flashed.
The moment the huge greatsword fell vertically.
Quadd deed! Huge scratches formed on the ground, scattering debris.
The ‘black blade’ that spewed out from the greatsword annihilated the enemy’s archers.
「I must have attracted too much aggro, I was completely surrounded!」
Then, swords, spear blades, and sharp claws approached.
Shatin felt at once that there was no way to break the things that were targeting him, nor to survive.
Suddenly, memories from the past came to mind.
The day I fought to protect the darkness.
Also, the day I was completely broken.
Isn’t the current situation the same as the self at the time when it was helpless?
The moment I tried to feel helpless in a hopeless situation where I couldn’t survive no matter what.
Hwaaak!
Shatin saw the sight of the greatsword in his hand extending like a shadow.
At the same time, he felt his heavy body lighten as if he could fly away.
It was the moment when Hyun activated the sword of darkness and biorhythm acceleration at the same time.
「Maximum activation!」
The change in circumstances was sudden, but the judgment was quick. Shatin immediately started moving the sword of darkness in her hand.
A swordsmanship that feels heavy in each one.
However, the effect of biorhythm acceleration made such heavy movements as light as a feather.
Bingle!
At the same time Shatin’s sword draws its final circle.
The bodies of the enemies rushing from all sides were cut in half.
Non-player soldiers could not be protected by life, so they soon became grains of light and were blown away by the wind on the battlefield.
<Durability 93/8930>
(※Caution: Recovery of durability is required! If all durability is exhausted, ‘Golem: Satin’ will rest forever!)
After a moment after the dark sword faded, Shatin asked.
“The thing just… What was it?」
“Did you see it for the first time? It was a skill called the Dark Sword.”
“Dark… knife… ?」
The roar of battle fell silent for an instant.
The feeling that the number of enemies suddenly decreased.
Hyun looked into the distance and realized that the ranking ceremony would soon end.
Vampires lead a huge number of soldiers and knock on the main gate of the fortress.
Thanks to the superiority of the soldiers, there was a picture that overwhelmed the four even with two players.
Even Bahimir’s ultra-long-range magic was supported from afar, so it wouldn’t take long for them to win.
“Fortunately, it won’t earthquake.”
“The battle… Is it over… ?」
“Not yet, but it will be over soon. Join us and fight together.”
While continuing the battle as Hyun ordered.
Pod! Shatin’s vision reversed.
Before she knew it, she was mixed in with the shouts of the monsters announcing the victory of the ranking ceremony.
“end… Are you?」
“okay. The fortress was not completely captured until the last offensive, so the judgment was based on the score.”
Shatin suddenly became frightened.
Even if it seems to have been active, didn’t the fight take place in a place where no one could see?
But Shatin’s concerns were futile. Because the spectators of the competition can always watch the players.
The beings of the abyss are simple.
In terms of pursuing power, and in terms of giving allegiance to beings with overwhelming power.
At the ranking ceremony, Sha Tin was not overwhelming, but showed enough to be recognized as a player.
Bahimir’s followers were cheering for Shatin, who returned after the ranking ceremony.
“Well, it wasn’t a very bad performance.”
Rublen passed by and spat out.
Then, while crossing the demons and approaching Bahimir, Shatin even heard the sound of him calling himself.
“nice… Miss, that’s awesome. It feels like watching my performance in active service.”
A monster with a broken tortoise shell lifted Shatin up.
Some even shortened Shatin to ‘Jet-Dark Valkyrie’.
A Valkyrie is an angel’s puppet. Given her dark acolyte, giving her that name would have been an insult.
But for some reason, Shatin liked that nickname.
“To say it’s awesome… what do you mean?”
At Shatin’s question, Hah, Hyeon laughed as if it were absurd.
“Isn’t that a compliment?”
“compliment… ?」
“Today, you were the best.”
Even after the defensive battle was over, Shatin remained dazed for a while.
Every time I pass by, I feel like I am receiving shouts like thunder.
It was a very special sensation that Shatin had never felt before.
***
There is a gap of several hours between the defense and the usurpation.
In the meantime, the duke and the monsters stayed in their original nature for a short gap.
Shatin, who played an active role as a player, could have waited in a luxurious room, but he chose an old warehouse.
Because the place where only a ray of light came in was the place that Shatin was most familiar with and gave her a sense of security.
When Hyun visited, the two twins were having a conversation about the ranking ceremony.
Sigh. Noticing Hyun approaching with the sound of the door opening, Sha Tin asked for a favor.
“If you meet darkness in the future… Can you tell us the story of today… ?”
“why? Do you think you did well today?”
“Didn’t I say it was awesome… ?”
“Ha ha, it was. Because there is a recording. I can show you.”
Hyun thought it was fortunate that Shatin’s self-deprecation seemed to have faded.
The goal of the hidden quest is for them to realize their own value.
But why is it that the quest is not cleared despite Shatin’s heart moving?
‘Do I have to win the sequence ceremony one more time?’
Yes, with one more victory soon, she will surely realize her worth.
Until the next time came, Hyeon and the twin sisters chatted in vain inside the old warehouse.
Sometimes the twins just whispered something to each other.
Like a whisper, it communicates through the resonance of divine power, so Hyun did not know what the content was.
***
The time for the war of usurpation finally arrived.
Bahimir and his men opened a huge portal again and started fighting.
Hyun, who tried to assimilate with Shatin at the same time and time, ran into an unexpected difficulty.
[The other party has canceled the consent of assimilation!]
[In order to assimilate, you must have the consent of the other party!]
‘what… ?’
It didn’t take long to realize the situation. After the battle, Shatin refused to assimilate with him again.
‘for a moment… This.’
And, instead of Shatin, Shatina climbed in the place where the player should be. Neither the monster nor the duke seemed to know the difference between the twin golems, but Hyun, who had seen them for a long time, was able to tell them apart.
‘Are you serious… ?’
You can’t make a fuss right before the ceremony. Hyun assimilated with Shatina for the time being.
In the next moment, a voice that was fainter and more broken than Shatin’s was heard.
“I… Also please… I give… I want… is.”
“Hey, do you know what will happen if we fight now?”
Hyun, who was trying to tell him to stop doing useless things and convince his sister right away, happened to see Shatina’s durability.
Durability: 82/82
‘uh… ? for a moment.’
And I was surprised.
I remember that just three days ago, Shatina’s durability was over 100.
In the last few days, about 20 percent of the maximum has been cut off.
The golem’s body is similar to that of a human.
Just as humans get sick and die in an instant, they also face the end of time within a few days starting from the moment the balance collapses.
Shatina’s life span would have been less than a week.
‘When did the collapse start… ?!’
Was it wrong for you to force yourself to activate the nuclear power plant? Maybe he should have let it be? Or is there a way to stop the nuclear operation again now?
“sister… to… heard… there… .」
The moment he heard what Shatina said next, Hyun knew why they did this.
Both twins have already accepted the death of their own brother.
He must have come up with this method because he was afraid that he would not allow it.
As if reading Hyun’s thoughts, Shatina continued to mutter.
“For us too… the soul… know that there is… It happened… .」
Pachichichichi!
Even now, as we were talking, a giant magic circle covered the sky and the venue was being completed.
Once the player registration is complete, the selection cannot be reversed.
Even, not a defensive war, but a usurpation war.
It was clear that if the opposing duke had a higher rank, it would be a tougher fight than before.
‘This is what I meant.’
Hyun finally found out why the quest hadn’t been cleared in one go before.
-The two broken sisters are just waiting for the darkness to return.
-One of them will probably run out of time allowed before the meeting.
– Before that time arrives, can you make them realize their worth?
The goal of the quest is to move the hearts of both Shatin and Shatina.
Yes, Shatina’s death was assumed even in the description of the quest.
Cheer up!
At the same time that a huge magic circle surrounded the area of several kilometers, red shimmering rose from Shatina’s body.
It was proof that the magic of player registration had been completed.
Sooner or later, the translucent curtain dividing the space will disappear, and the second sequence ceremony will begin.
Continued in the next volume
