Chapter 279

〈 Chapter 279 〉 Part 1, Chapter 12, Section 25

Bento.

I didn’t retrieve one of the Cubes in China. I had thought, “I can do it later,” but mostly because it wasn’t urgent at the moment.

However, after the Cube Hikari was researching and the Cube Seok Harang brought were both annihilated by Chang-yeom, I no longer had any Cubes left in my possession. Since there was no issue with timing, I had planned to retrieve the Cube after resolving the Rusalka situation.

“So we’ve arrived. The Horogwan Dungeon.”

“You’re just doing whatever you want, huh.”

The revived villain Deokbae grumbled as he followed behind me. With his hood pulled up and kicking the ground with his feet, it was clearly an act of dissatisfaction.

“Are you really going to be sulking now? You’re not a kid anymore. At this rate, if there’s a door, you’ll probably slam it shut next.”

“I’d like to do something like that if there’s a chance. Hey, why didn’t you use me back in Moscow and just stood around with your arms crossed?”

“Were you that eager to cause trouble?”

Swinging the Deokbate for him was a form of vicarious satisfaction for Deokbae. Though he verbally complained, deep down, he was undoubtedly happy about the increasing experience points.

“That’s disappointing. If I had taken care of everything from Rasputin to what poured out of the Dimensional Gate, I would have reached A Rank, wouldn’t I?”

“There’s always a right time and place for people to step forward. That battlefield was where Rusalka shone, not where we should have interfered.”

Although I did provide support a few times, the main hero of the battle was clearly Rusalka and the Light Blade technique. The leftovers dealt with by Gale Guest were merely crumbs after the main dish of Rasputin and the Dimensional Gate had been subdued.

“If I had the Cube, I could have joined the fray too. But there was no Cube.”

“So now we’re heading to catch someone who has it?”

Deokbae spread his arms wide, gesturing around. The old site of Horogwan, ravaged by monsters, was reduced to a barren wasteland, and despite searching everywhere, there was no sign of a Cube.

“Who has it?”

“The Horogwan Locust, or rather, the creature called <Callipera>.”

In the original story, it was a dungeon boss in China reaching SS Rank. It was also the first battle where Xiao Lin joined as an ally within the Horogwan dungeon.

“Horogwan? Is some kind of ‘Horog’-like thing coming out?”

“Yeah. It’s a guy with three fathers. Haven’t read the book, have you?”

“Pfft.”

Even if he hadn’t read the book, he should have at least played the game once or twice, but apparently, Deokbae was quite distant from such worlds. I dispersed magic power around to search for the location of the “gate.”

“In any case, a real ‘Horog’-like thing will come out. This was originally an event where Xiao Lin sheds her role as Unjang, but since that already happened, we’ll skip it.”

“When she shed her role as Unjang, she also shed a lot of other things, didn’t she?”

“That’s all because of Mo Taegyeong killing Xiao Lin. He’s the bad guy here. So let’s go for revenge.”

Pffft! Blue flames erupted in midair. I gathered the flames, and an oval mirror-like gate appeared.

“What is this thing?”

“A memory of the past, or perhaps a dungeon of the future. The grasshopper born in this life couldn’t let go of its past and wandered until it returned to the past using a Cube. This is a gate connecting to the past.”

“Well, ain’t that strange…”

“I told you already. The power of the Cube is limitless.”

It was slightly amusing how I used it as a date coupon in reality, but I had absolutely no regrets about its usage. After all, leaving it alone would only create an awkward atmosphere that might end up consuming me bit by bit, so using it for sparring with Chang-yeom was hundreds of times better.

“So, changing attributes with the Cube… Hmm…”

“Hooh.”

For once, Deokbae came up with a good idea. Even though he blurted it out himself, covering his mouth made it seem like he foresaw his own fate, but once said, words cannot be unsaid.

“Would you really allow me to experiment on you? It’s genuinely dangerous.”

“But if I become fire attribute, I could reach S Rank, no, SS Rank, right?”

“You’d be fire attribute, but aren’t you durability-based?”

By coincidence, Deokbae, who was reborn as a monster with a durability magic pattern and core, became this way due to me being fire attribute.

“Changing attributes with the Cube is extremely dangerous. You might completely vanish. Are you prepared for that risk?”

“…What’s the success rate?”

“100%.”

“Then it’s definitely possible. Got it. There must be some other downside to changing attributes, right? I’m getting a strong feeling about this.”

Deokbae tapped his temples with his index finger and swaggered. I momentarily considered shooting a bullet under his raised chin, but since he was finally correct, I decided not to kill him.

“That’s right. If you change your attribute, you’ll become a Chimera.”

“Camera?”

“Chimera. Hybrid monster. Don’t you know? These are horrifying creatures whose very sight can corrupt the mind—heads of snakes, birds, and dogs, bodies like snails, and tails like wriggling tentacles.”

“…Then forget it. I’m not doing it.”

After imagining how he might transform, Deokbae shuddered. While tempting him to take the risk would have been fun, given the high danger of Chimeras, I opted instead to calmly terrify him further.

“You’ll get a chance to face them directly later. Puhehe.”

“…Is it worse than Rasputin?”

“It’s disgusting. Chimeras… shall we say they erode the mind? If you’re not A Rank level, even looking at a picture can make you dizzy, nauseous, and cause chaos.”

If your mental strength isn’t strong enough, you’ll fall victim to the Chimeras. Fortunately, they only thrive in Seongju’s Boatman world and don’t directly appear on Earth. Of course, that’s assuming we intercept them in time.

“Anyway, Mr. Jo Deokbae, since we’re going to get the Cube, I’ll conveniently help you reach A Rank, so don’t sulk too much.”

“I’m not sulking.”

“If you say so, then consider it resolved. Let’s turn you into a weapon.”

I patted Deokbae’s back. The magical power composing his body was absorbed into his core, and soon he transformed into the form I desired.

Woooom.

“Guess it works.”

The grip feels perfect. Having turned Deokbae into the weapon I envisioned, I extended my hand toward the dungeon where the Horogwan Locust rampages—a world created by the Cube.

Zzzzzip.

Fortunately, I could enter without issue. Thankfully, there was no restriction like “You are not a resident of this world, so you cannot enter!” allowing me smooth passage into the alternate dimension.

WAAAAAAA!!

The cries of soldiers pierced my ears. The ground beneath my feet shook irregularly with every step. War horses kicked up dust as they galloped across the wasteland, and blind arrows and maces filled the sky.

Click!

I captured the scene of the battlefield with magical gear. Thanks to the Cube, this alternate world based on memories recreated an ancient spectacle impossible even for a meticulously researched historical drama, preserving the grandeur of thousands of years ago.

“One person aside.”

“Keehehehehehe!!”

A woman’s brash laughter echoed through the heavens. Standing on a sheer cliff overlooking Horogwan, I looked down at the silver-haired young girl wildly wielding supernatural powers amidst the chaos.

“A hero suit in the age of Romance of the Three Kingdoms? What nonsense.”

She hadn’t noticed my presence yet. The girl, whose power seemed easily S+ Rank just by appearance, was wreaking havoc on the armed forces rushing towards her, swinging her gray halberd thanks to the infinite power of the Cube.

Within this world shaped by her fantasies, she was essentially performing a “Musou” (overwhelming everyone).

‘Originally, she was an extra defeated by Xiao Lin.’

“She became a villain trapped in the dungeon after attempting suicide upon being rejected following her defeat.”

In this world of cold steel where superhuman abilities like a hero’s Musou are rare, this girl dreams of unifying the land. She calls herself “Ye Bongseon” and is literally embodying the role of a modern-day “Lü Bu.”

“Ahahaha! Is that all you’ve got?”

Alone, Ye Bongseon blocked the entrance to Horogwan, taunting the soldiers. Dressed in a modern hero suit that resembled lingerie—an outfit inappropriate for the era—she was nothing short of a bloodthirsty monster.

“Hey, hey! Anyone there?! Knock her down, I say!!”

A bearded general, helmetless, urged his troops onward. Yet, paralyzed by fear of Ye Bongseon’s overwhelming power, none dared to step forward.

“Ahaha! Another one gone? How many now?! Aren’t you tired yet?!”

The girl skewered the head of a general she had just felled onto her halberd. Then, leaping from her spot, she soared dozens of meters to land atop the city wall, embedding her weapon into it.

“Nine done! Any famous generals left?!”

The city wall of Horogwan was lined with the heads of numerous renowned generals, among them men with ears drooping to their chins, others with beards long enough to touch their knees, and even a one-eyed warrior.

‘The key named characters are all dead.’

My apologies to Deokbae. If these were enemies, he could have gained experience points, but alas, the named generals had already been decapitated by Ye Bongseon, becoming food for crows.

‘Maybe this time she’s taking the madness route to total annihilation?’

“Still. Doing this a hundred times would surely drive anyone insane.”

Starting with the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition, the dream of unifying the land stretches endlessly. Without knowing how to escape, what begins as enjoyable life as a tyrant in another world inevitably leads to madness.

Ye Bongseon is trapped in the past due to the Cube.

‘Sooner or later, she’ll truly go mad and transform into a locust-like monster.’

“Thinking she could devour the entire world as a monster, but China’s vast lands make that difficult.”

Thus, it’s time to grant her rest and help her escape this world. Concealing myself in the sunlight, I slipped quietly into Horogwan.

* * *

“…The Chancellor requests you return to Luoyang now that things are stable…”

“Nope. Not going. I’m staying here guarding it.”

Ye Bongseon stroked her antennae-like hair while reclining in a chair. Buried in silk, the girl appeared as a true beauty, yet she was the same monster who, just a few hours ago, had severed the heads of warriors with those delicate wrists.

“The Chancellor wishes to convey that you’ll sever all heads here, so they’ll hold festivals and feast in the Chancellor’s office.”

“T-tell the Chancellor that…”

“What?”

When Ye Bongseon glared, the messenger bowed deeply.

“E-excuse me!”

“If you’re sorry, hurry back to the Chancellor. I’ll enter Luoyang later, but if you’re late, you’ll die for real. Understand?”

“Understood!”

The messenger scurried backward and exited the tent. Chuckling to herself, Ye Bongseon picked up a wine bottle placed on the low table.

“Hmph, this taste is getting boring already…”

Compared to modern drinks, this ancient liquor was disgustingly coarse, almost undrinkable. However, among the options available at her current level, only this highly toxic rice wine remained.

“Ugh… All this talk of unification and conquest… I wish it would just stop already…”

Touching the only modern artifact she brought from her world—the hero suit—Ye Bongseon exhaled toward the ceiling.

“Both Dong Zhuo’s army and Cao Cao’s army failed, and Liu Bei’s faction is no different. And working under someone like Sun Quan is equally undesirable… Seriously, is there anyone out there who holds the key?”

Her muttering continued. Ye Bongseon idly passed the time polishing the spear of Fangtianji, her iconic weapon.

Knock knock knock.

The sound of knocking rang out. Initially considering whether to slice off the impolite soldier’s head with Fangtianji, Ye Bongseon was surprised when whoever it was actually knocked on the door.

“Finally…!”

Has the chance to escape this world arrived? Excited, Ye Bongseon rose—

BOOM!

Her head spun.

It was the first time Ye Bongseon felt pain. In her vision, a large gray stone axe was embedded.

“Ah-”

And with that, she lost consciousness.