<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 56>
Optimum Headquarters.
“How could this happen…? Operation Chief, could you explain this ‘anomaly’ in detail?”
Kim Yeon-hee, wearing glasses, asked the operation chief while looking at the report.
“It’s as stated in the report. We’ve confirmed the emergence of a completely different type of monster from several gates.”
“If that’s confirmed, does that mean we have evidence?”
“Yes, here.”
The operation chief presented a photograph.
The first photo showed the corpse of an Ent.
The wood that comes from the Ent’s skin can be used for various purposes due to the nature of the material.
From magical tools like staffs or wands to high-end wooden furniture.
It is relatively in high demand, and the market is stable, making it an excellent source of income for superhumans.
Naturally, Kim Yeon-hee also often trades this monster.
The problem is the location where this monster was photographed.
“Chop Blade Orc Settlement…”
An Ent has appeared in the Chop Blade Orc Settlement. A creature that shouldn’t be there has emerged.
The photo shows a healthy Orc confronting the Ent… Kim Yeon-hee doubted her eyes even while looking at it.
In addition to this, there were also photos of desert zombies found in the swamp snake nest, where Lizardmen appeared, and photos showing a Vine Goblin and a Moss Kobold fighting over territory.
“Vine Goblins from the Forest Field and Moss Kobolds from the Lake Field are in the same field? Huh… What is happening, it’s a complete mess.”
“As you saw in the last photo, monsters are attacking other monsters. The reason is still unknown, but it seems they are trying to exclude each other.”
“It seems like a territorial battle.”
“For now, that’s our operation department’s opinion too.”
Monsters fighting over territory…
It’s not entirely unreasonable.
Even animals fight to defend their territory, and monsters that are several times more aggressive would certainly struggle to coexist.
“Upon discreet investigation, these anomalies have been reported continuously. Not just in Korea, but all over the world.”
“It’s serious. This is too critical to overlook.”
This is not an issue to be taken lightly.
Are different monsters just appearing?
That could be true. Gates are unknown spaces. But that’s the perspective of a civilian, and Kim Yeon-hee, as the representative of Optimum, is different.
If she were to deal with this complacently, her team might get hurt.
“…”
Kim Yeon-hee once again skimmed through the report.
Incredibly carefully.
Checking and rechecking if there was any information she missed, if she had made a mistake, stuffing her head full of information and interpreting it. How long had it been?
In her mind, the direction indicated by this anomaly became clear.
“Ecosystem collapse…”
Kim Yeon-hee picked up the phone immediately.
“I’m calling for an emergency meeting. Team leaders and above, gather in the conference room.”
Monsters define the identity of a gate.
Black Forest, Chop Blade Orc Settlement, Fat-Bellied Maze, and so on.
What is the criterion for naming these places?
It’s the monster. The most definite identity that differentiates this gate from others, existing only in this gate.
Let’s take the Black Forest as an example.
There are many gates where trolls appear. However, the place referred to as ‘Black Forest’ is the only one. Why? Because it’s the only place where Black Trolls appear.
Thus, we begin to name gates based on the monsters that appear, and this becomes the name of the gate itself.
But this identity is being shaken.
Right now, over there.
“…Are Banshees eating Trolls?”
“Trolls are tearing the Banshees apart.”
It sounds awkward even saying it, but it’s precisely what’s happening.
At the foot of the cliff, a group of Black Trolls and a horde of Banshees are colliding across the meadow.
The Banshees, swelling their spectral bodies, attempt to ‘dominate’ the Black Trolls by consuming them, while the Black Trolls resist fiercely, smashing the Banshees with clubbed weapons wrapped in magic.
What on earth is going on? It’s absurd, even while watching.
“Am I seeing this wrong?”
“No, Ki-hyuk. I see it too. What about Jun-woo?”
“I can see it clearly.”
“Unless they’re all under some mass hallucination, it’s true. The Banshees seem to have a slight advantage.”
“Huh, what a ridiculous situation.”
Everyone is chiming in, and Spring, who had been riding on my shoulder, joined in.
“I can see it, too!”
“No, Spring.”
“Still!”
“Just look.”
“Really?! Wow!!”
Spring squinted her eyes and smiled broadly.
Sure, if she can see it, then let her.
Normally, I wouldn’t show her, but now, from our distance, it was difficult to see without binoculars or enhancing mana to amplify our vision.
Spring soon became glum.
“I can’t see it.”
“I told you, you can’t see it.”
“Don’t say that.”
While comforting the whimpering Spring, I turned my gaze back to the cliff below.
It’s already strange to see Black Trolls and Banshees together, but now they are actually fighting.
It’s like an absurd melee.
There’s no strategy. No tactics.
They strike, rip, consume… Trolls swing their clubs while abandoning dying comrades, and Banshees unleash their terrifying wails, lighting themselves on fire.
Only feelings of rage and murderous intent toward the enemy remain.
This place is a battlefield of savagery.
“Continuing to watch this is strangely thrilling, isn’t it? It feels like a gladiatorial arena.”
“Yu-ri, gladiatorial arenas are illegal.”
“I know, I know. I’m just saying. Hmm~ I wonder who will win.”
The first to respond to Jin Yu-ri’s question was Jun-woo.
“The Banshees.”
“Really?”
“The Banshees will win. They’re soul-type monsters.”
Black Trolls, with their physical attack forms, struggle to deal with the soul-type Banshees. This is what Jun-woo meant, and even in the actual battle, the Black Trolls were falling behind.
But Mary’s opinion differed.
“No, I think differently.”
“Ooh, the couple’s opinions are split! Mary, please argue your case.”
“Hmm, hmm. What Jun-woo said only applies when considering regular Trolls. What we’re witnessing are Black Trolls. Black Trolls are different. They use ‘Calamity.’ Calamity is a type of magic, so even soul-state Banshees can be attacked.”
“That’s right.”
I nodded.
Mary’s statement also made sense. The one slicing through the Banshees like paper is the Calamity, that is, the club of the Black Troll wrapped in magic.
The opinions of Mary and Jun-woo diverged.
They glared at each other. As two people with strong opinions, they showed no intention of backing down.
“Magic isn’t infinite. There’s wear and tear. On the other hand, Banshees are inherently soul-type.”
“Honestly, I don’t get why there’s a disagreement. Banshees and Trolls, come on, Trolls have the overwhelming advantage! Just comparing combat levels, there’s no comparison.”
“That’s human criteria. Right now, it’s a battle between monsters. It’s completely different from hunting.”
“That’s what I wanted to say. The notion that soul-type monsters are strong against human-types is also human’s perspective. Look at the Troll side. It’s changing as champions appear.”
“You’re saying what I wanted to say too. Look over there. An Elder Banshee is emerging from the Banshee faction. The formation is being crushed.”
“That’s a stretch, Jun-woo.”
“That’s you being unreasonable.”
“Ugh!”
“What.”
A tense spark flew between them.
If they were in a relationship, at least one of them would have retreated, but neither would admit they were wrong.
While watching the two, Spring quietly whispered in my ear.
“Dad, are the singer and the gift aunt fighting?”
“No, they’re just discussing.”
“Then let’s not be like that. If we love each other, we should cover for each other, like this.”
“…Remove your hand while I’m speaking nicely. I’ll crush you.”
“Hehe. It’s nice. Even shy Ki-hyuk has charm… Ouch.”
I flicked Jin Yu-ri’s head and focused back on the battle.
The fight between the Black Troll and the Banshee was still chaotic.
Honestly, does it really matter who wins or loses? This isn’t a gladiatorial arena. Yet we continued to concentrate on the battle because…
“The numbers have increased.”
They’ve multiplied.
They are continuously increasing. Monsters were pouring out of both sides of the forest as if they had made an agreement.
At first, only ordinary monsters were flooding out, but now, just as Jun-woo and Mary said earlier, even elite monsters like Troll Champions and Elder Banshees are emerging.
Like flames spreading on dry twigs, the horde of monsters was growing in real time. They were now expanding in numbers to the extent that they could be identified with the n*ked eye without having to pay special attention.
Just then, Jin Yu-ri made an absurd comment again.
“So chaotic. If area magic is cast there, it would be awesome, right?”
“Have you lost your mind, Yu-ri?!”
“No way!”
“You scared me!”
Neither Mary nor I could hold back our shouts.
Because in our eyes, or more accurately, through the ‘Shaman’s Eye’ that could see souls, we noticed.
The flames of malice burning beyond measure.
“If you recklessly trigger that, it will be a big problem.”
“If those monsters are this excited, once attacked, who knows how they will react?”
Attacking by mistake might change the target. If that malice-filled arrow that felt so electric turned towards us instead…
That would lead to trouble.
And the moment I thought that, a chill ran down my spine.
“…Surely, it wouldn’t have to be us who gets involved?”
The world is vast, and there are many crazies. Could someone else, similar to Jin Yu-ri, have that thought? Especially considering that the monsters over there are Trolls, known as walking gold.
If a mass spell is cast aiming for a free score…
“I think we’ve seen enough. Let’s start packing up.”
“Why? It was just getting fun. Let’s watch a bit more.”
“I agree with Ki-hyuk. No matter how you look at it, I feel uneasy.”
“Is the hunting over?”
“Can we even hunt in this situation? Let’s quickly go out, have dinner, and part ways. Spring, what do you want to eat… Hold on. Let’s leave quietly.”
We organized our things and left the gate without lingering.
……
…
And a few days later, was my gut feeling right?
A major casualty occurred in the national hunting ground ‘Black Forest.’
Survivors testified that the ‘Banshee’ and the ‘Black Troll’ had formed an alliance. Controversy in the field of Monster Research.
What on earth happened in the ‘Black Forest’?
This was how the hunting ended in a somewhat chaotic atmosphere.
At this point, I thought it was an interesting phenomenon but didn’t pay much attention.
However, that day at lunch, I would hear about this phenomenon in the most unexpected place…
“Park Ki-hyuk, what do you think about what’s happening now?”
“Huh?”
“About the ‘Ecosystem Collapse Phenomenon’. I’m curious about your opinion, Park Ki-hyuk.”
The Forest of Wisdom.
A garden in full bloom with vibrant flowers.
In it, our Spring was smiling brightly. I was taking a picture on my phone of her, looking so lovely like a scene from a fairytale, but the question was totally trivial.
I stared at Yggdrasil with a sullen face.
“I came because I wanted to see Spring.”
“Of course, I always want to see the cute Park Bom. This is just my personal curiosity.”
“Why are you curious?”
“I guess I’m curious about the human perspective. How do humans perceive this phenomenon of ecosystem destruction? And just in front of me stands Park Ki-hyuk. You may not believe it, but you’re one of the few humans I trust.”
“Hmm.”
Excluding my team, Yggdrasil was the one who took care of Spring the most in the academy.
Thanks to that, she had even received the nickname ‘Fairy Aunt’ from her.
Now that Yggdrasil was saying something like this, I reluctantly began to seriously think about it.
The ecosystem collapse phenomenon.
It refers to the emergence of entirely new types of monsters in the gates, fully changing the environment of the gate through territorial disputes.
According to my mother, this ‘ecosystem collapse phenomenon’ has occurred in approximately 10% of gates worldwide, and the situation is spreading in real-time.
My thoughts on this were.
“It’s about time for a change.”
I don’t know how or why the gates came into existence. But I know that through these gates, humans have been profiting from various resources, including magic gems.
How long has this profit been made?
“Nature changes over time, and so do humans in accordance with the eras. But can we say that gates are eternal? That’s just greed.”
“Right. Change is the law of nature.”
“Honestly, it’s stranger that they have remained fixed until now. Well, I say this, but it could just be a simple whim.”
I pointed my finger at the sky.
“That guy can’t stand to see humans enjoying themselves.”
“Pfft. Calling a god ‘that guy’… You’re quite bold. This is why I like you, Park Ki-hyuk.”
Yggdrasil laughed lightly, finding it amusing.
Watching that, I sipped warm tea and spoke.
“You didn’t call me here just to ask such trivial things, so let’s get to the main point.”
“Just as expected, Park Ki-hyuk is quick-witted. Conversing with you is entertaining.”
“Give it a shot. If you’re going to say you want me to investigate that collapse phenomenon, then I refuse.”
“Oh my, how did you know? That was my intention.”
“The conversation is over. The tea was great.”
Just as I was really about to get up to call for Spring.
A sudden remark stopped me.
“I’ll handle the Park Bom issue for you.”
Creak, my head turned.
And.
“…How do you know about that?”
My eyes were turning dark.
