NOVEL NEXT Chapter 192
Chapter 192 – Internal Enemy (2)
“Wow, it’s so big. Even from this far away, it’s hard to take it all in at once.”
The center of the Empire, a massive and grand city that they prided themselves on being the most developed place. The elven delegation was awestruck as they beheld the sight of countless people living there.
“It’s even larger than their city. I can’t believe humans have multiplied this much…”
Luna, who had experience visiting the Arin Tribe as a delegate, felt the same way.
Though Balun had been actively using the skills acquired in the game world to rapidly develop their ‘Holy Site,’ it still paled in comparison to the massive city with hundreds of years of history.
“The roads are already clear. Ahem, if we hurry a bit, we’ll arrive on time.”
In the meantime, the captain of the guards, who was bringing the elves, cleared his throat and urged them forward, but his demeanor was cautious.
After infiltrating into Dausrim under the imperial order to investigate the elves, he had been made a fool by the intervention of the dispatched Balas, and had been left with a mission that could easily fail if the elven delegation hadn’t made contact first.
‘Though I couldn’t carry out the mission to investigate in detail what had occurred beyond the border, as I’m bringing the elves, it’ll be fine.’
He was trying to soothe himself. Not fulfilling the imperial order was a grave crime, but he reckoned that personally bringing the elves might cover it up.
“Will the human emperor believe our words?”
“If he doesn’t, he has no choice.”
As the captain of the guards let out a sigh of relief, Luna whispered among her companions. The captain’s task was merely to guide them, but Luna’s mission would begin the moment she met the emperor.
‘Without mentioning the Arin Tribe, I must explain about the Black Monsters and gain cooperation. It might not be easy considering the current leader of our side.’
She was extremely tense at that moment. Her goal of persuading the emperor was not an easy task.
Having witnessed what happened when the Elf King Legion did not believe the words of the Arin Tribe, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the emperor could commit the same mistake.
“What we are trying to convey is a matter of the world’s fate. Do you think the captain of the guards will recognize it?”
“Y-you’re asking me that? How could I dare presume to know the thoughts of such an esteemed person!”
The captain trembled in surprise as Luna asked him for his opinion.
While the elves had a somewhat relaxed hierarchy, the captain was aware of the iron-fisted and cold nature of the emperor, and simply mentioning the emperor made him quiver in fear.
‘He’s not someone to be trifled with.’
Luna discerned the emperor’s nature from his reaction. A ruler who governs through fear must be strong enough to bear that fear.
“They say the elves are almost here.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Indeed, Luna’s predictions were not wrong.
As they got closer to the capital, the emperor, who was in his chamber, smirked.
“Guess what. What kind of news do you think they will bring after a hundred years of being gone from this continent?”
“W-well…”
“Rumor has it that something is wrong in the Land of the Elves. If danger arises from a place so close by, it would be normal for us to step in, right? I don’t see any reason for us to be behind the consistently growing elves, do you?”
‘Another war, perhaps?’
Those who saw the smile on the emperor’s face already knew. The emperor was already contemplating war.
*
“Worldwide, I believe it’s reasonable to set aside past ideologies and conflicts and to move proactively together. There are indeed those who think this way. But I don’t think it’ll be easy.”
“Why’s that? As you know, the User watching us doesn’t seem very capable.”
After the commotion, I met Lee So-Yeon directly, and she shared more detailed insights with me, as she was closely tied to the higher-ups.
“I’m angry too, but it’s not incomprehensible. Achieving harmony among everyone is not an easy job.”
Perhaps recalling the residents she was observing, she sighed. I did not refute her because her words held truth.
Perhaps it’s our instinct to confuse the obvious enemy and mistakenly engage in friendly fire even when a clear opponent stands before us.
“But still, I can’t understand why. They are still living well, so maybe they’ve become oblivious to reality. There are others opposing our active cooperation in the alliance, but who are they?”
“Ah, the political factions. It’s common to oppose just for the sake of opposing.”
Lee So-Yeon looked bewildered as she provided me with information. Following the incursion of the Bugs attempting to sow discord among us, the Allied Forces had come to a decisive conclusion. They planned to ignore the opposing factions and strike at the enemy’s stronghold.
It was a strong-willed determination, even accepting the potential for war. The problem was that those of us within the alliance also became targets of the Bugs’ attacks, and many people suffered while there were still those opposing deployment and participation.
They offered no legitimate or reasonable justification. The Bugs, a manifest calamity, continued to wreak havoc, yet some refused to see reality, continuing their usual petty politics.
“Ms. Lee So-Yeon, what do you think will happen if things continue like this?”
“It won’t be good. While we dawdle, those guys will continue to evolve.”
“The world has changed. Monsters are erupting and harming people. They only focus on hating humans and devouring this world. No one can deny this clear fact. But if a few who fail to recognize that inflict obvious obstacles, should we just let them be? We already know what kind of hell awaits when the Bugs grow stronger.”
Dwarves whose hometowns were washed away completely, elves whose homelands were attacked sustaining great damage, and residents who fought and died.
As I had told her, I already knew the future as a higher being looking down.
And I had already witnessed ways to change that future. The miracle Riena had shown, the victories the residents had fought for, and so on.
It was definitely a mere coincidence that I got caught up in this affair. Yet, the reason I actively undertook the mission stemmed from my affection and bond with the residents.
Now, I felt a sense of intuition that I had to transcend that. If I fled and hid here, I would lose the chance to fight entirely.
“What exactly are you planning to do? Don’t tell me you’re going to act like last time?”
She opened her eyes wide and trembled slightly. The last time she referred to was when I had single-handedly stormed a foreign intelligence agency to obtain classified information to block the Bugs’ gates and kidnapped someone.
It was clearly a criminal act and a foolish one, but I did not deny her words.
“Let’s start domestically. This won’t do. I plan to show reality to those who still don’t understand and correct the wrongs.”
Though it was still just an abstract plan, I had made my decision in my heart. Lee So-Yeon listened to me in surprise and covered her mouth with her hand.
‘It would have been different had she been completely unaware.’
After sneaking back home and plopping down into a chair in my room, I turned on the monitors, letting out a small sigh.
I still didn’t want to step out. But as I had told Lee So-Yeon, I had already experienced how resilient and strong the Bugs could be.
I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing knowing what would happen if I let them be.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Just as the screens powered on and the scenery started to appear one by one, I blinked as I discovered something.
[Alert Program Recommendation]
It had been a long time since a recommended program popped up. An alert program, part of the base system that notifies you when something goes wrong.
‘Do they need this right now?’
The master program doesn’t recommend things whimsically. While I can manually decide to activate something, I recalled never having lost out on a recommendation.
[Alert Program Activated]
[Imperial Palace-05]
“What’s this.”
As soon as I activated it, an alert appeared. The screen turned red and immediately began to indicate where the problem lay.
Shocked, I hastily started flipping through the screens.
The continuing pages revealed a journey starting from the Land of the Elves, crossing the borders towards a new land where many people lived.
‘This is the Empire.’
I recognized where this was. Endless vast land that seemed without end and the many people living there. It was the Empire that I had never had a chance to properly illuminate on screen.
The elves, now completely my allies, were on a path laid out as they headed as delegates.
“—! –!”
And then, I stopped the screen where the alarm was going off, my eyes widening.
The entire screen showcased a city, and in that place, mostly neutral people existed, yet one spot contained both allies and enemies.
The grand, splendid, and vast Imperial Palace. Something had happened to the elves there that triggered the alarm.
“–, —!”
‘What the hell is going on?’
Upon zooming in on the screen, I froze for a moment. Countless people were gathering and causing a commotion, and it was said that humans were attacking the elves.
The elves resisted, but one by one they were captured and subdued.
I even spotted a familiar face. Luna, who had contacted the elves from the start, was there.
“Those bastards?”
I didn’t know the full context, but I had no choice but to feel furious. Those elves were allies who had placed their trust in me, even endorsed by the master program.
They were comrades who fought against the Bugs alongside me. Additionally, they were there for the crucial mission to build cooperation against the Bugs.
Attacking people like that was an unacceptable challenge for me, who was already deeply unsettled.
To begin with, isn’t it common sense that one should not touch the deity?
[Desktop Breaker Level 4 Activated]
Having accumulated quite a few points by wiping out the colony, I proceeded to invest that into unlocking a device that was second only to a machine gun in the Desktop Breaker.
Though the Desktop Breaker was a childish program that elementary school kids would find fascinating, it also contained tremendous power that I could wield within the screen.
It looked like some sort of squirt gun, but it was no ordinary water-shooting item. Left-clicking the mouse summons a bolt of lightning to smash the screen.
A powerful lightning strike that could bring down buildings and ignite fires in a single blow.
“—!”
As I rained down lightning from seemingly clear skies, I could see the surprise and horror on their faces. Their expressions, once unthinkable, now appeared even more contemptible.
My desktop has turned into a town.