32. Kim Emperor (3)
The armor was glowing red as if he had risen from the flames of hell. As some of his armor melted, the rough figure became sharp and agile. The wounds on the armor signaled a fierce battle. He was still burning with enormous heat. Jin-woo’s shield was also not normal. It was hot red and half-melted, but several skeletons were embedded in it because the giant skeleton’s head was bashed in just like that.
Jin-woo slowly raised the shield.
Pssst!
Several pieces of bone fell off the shield studded with skeletons. The players were half mesmerized by his appearance. If even the players were like that, what about the viewers?
‘The response is fine.’
When Jin-woo saw the chat window, the reaction was explosive. There were so many people chatting that the window flew by, but Jin-woo managed to read a few lines with his excellent vision. This seemed to be good in its way.
The giant skeleton, with his head half smashed, staggered to his feet. The tentacles had already burned away, and there was nothing left. The giant skeleton looked at Jin-woo. It was in a very bad mood. It felt extremely hungry, and it couldn’t devour any soul no matter how much it ate. After all, those damn beings were all avatars.
While it was running wild in anger, suddenly, someone bashed in its head. Anger welled inside with the pain of burning its tentacles. A trivial mortal dared to mock the great Emperor.
[How dare you…! I’ll make you suffer forever!]
The giant skeleton opened its arms and shouted so. A red light flashed in its empty eye sockets. It looked at Jin-woo, the being who made it so enraged.
[Uh….]
Startle!
The giant skeleton that had spread its arms out stiffened. The red glow in its eyes shook wildly. The giant skeleton could hardly believe its own eyes. The reason it moved on to another dimension was to run away from that horrifyingly evil creature.
[T-The Em…]
It was when it was about to reveal who Jin-woo was. It would be a big deal in many ways because many viewers were watching. Jin-woo picked up the huge shield and threw it at the giant skeleton’s face.
Whoosh! Bang!
The shield smashed into the giant skeleton’s jaws and broke it off. Then the flames soared, and it burst brilliantly. Its words were cut off very naturally.
LizardDragon: Oh, lol. I think it was trying to cast something.
BeefTartareisDelicious: Kim Emperor beats it one more time while waiting for the casting time.
Three-legged Fish: LOL. Awesome blow.
The giant skeleton’s body collapsed. This was because the power that had taken control of the monster was scattered thanks to Jin-woo’s energy. Although it was an Emperor, it was so weak that it couldn’t handle Jin-woo’s attack. The players couldn’t hide their excitement as the giant skeleton scattered and turned into hundreds of skeleton monsters.
“It’s Phase 3!”
“Wow, look at the directing.”
“Ugh! It’s cool.”
All of them were great scenes with nothing thrown away. The players rushed at the skeletons. It was a scene like a showdown, and it was miserable. Although everyone was inhabiting avatars, they bled when they were wounded. Their wounded, staggering, and dying appearance was very realistic.
The fight against the skeleton couldn’t be compared to any other fantasy movie. It wasn’t CG, after all. Jin-woo grabbed the head of the skeleton that was rushing in with one hand and smashed it with his clenched fist. The slightly larger skull was held in both hands and torn off.
Crack!
When he punched the skeleton with his fist, the skeleton shattered and collapsed. The Emperor of Parasite was desperately crawling on the floor to avoid Jin-woo. Its head and lower body were destroyed, so it couldn’t even move properly. A large skeleton with tentacles attached to it was running away in the opposite direction from the skeleton army.
Jin-woo tore the skeletons apart and slowly approached the Emperor of Parasite. Everyone was watching him march forward.
KimHottie: He’s so fcking scary, lol.
Peppermint Candy: The middle boss is freaking out. LMAO.
Heavy Metal Addiction: Kim Emperor is more like a boss, lol.
The SBC reporter, who barely survived this far, watched Jin-woo expecting exclusive news, and the viewers watching through Luna TV turned the screen to look at Kim Emperor.
Pssst! Thud-thud!
An army of skeletons rushed in and swarmed around Jin-woo. However, they couldn’t stop his advance. As he swung his fist, the skeletons were ground to dust. He grabbed them, split their spines in two, and stomped on those that had fallen to the floor. Fireworks exploded every time he hit, so the feeling of contact was enormous.
Everyone who saw it felt a thrill beyond exhilaration. There was no match to this.
StormFall: Kyaaa! He came back after leveling up in hell.
NotThis: At this point, I feel sorry for the skeletons.
Credo: The middle boss is so desperate, lol. It’s running away. The monster AI looks great. I’m looking forward to the first boss.
The Emperor of Parasite desperately crawled over the floor and fled. It was obvious that it would end up like the Emperor of Corruption. The body that was barely maintained also collapsed, and the speed gradually decreased. The Emperor of Parasite turned its head and looked towards Jin-woo.
He was slowly approaching, smashing the skeletons. Those Golden eyes seemed to be flashing through the helmet.
Pssst!
Skeletons flew from Jin-woo and fell in front of the Emperor of Parasite, trembling. Their bodies shattered and turned into powder.
Tap-tap-tap!
Jin-woo approached. The skeleton in which the Emperor of Parasite resided was already half-broken. Jin-woo reached out and grabbed the Emperor of Parasite. Then he lifted it. Looking through the Magic Eye of Information, Jin-woo could find it hidden near the chest cavity.
‘So, this is the main body.’
The Emperor of Parasite trembled.
[Uh-uwaaaaaa! I-I’m sor…]
Jin-woo didn’t let it speak.
Swoosh!
He shoved his other hand into the skeleton’s chest and pulled out the main body.
Lanto: Crazy, LOL. That’s scary.
Potato King Thomas: What an overwhelming man.
ThisIsSuspicious: The boss is begging… did the G&P even replace the aliens?
Passion: Meteor Kim Emperor. He kills one more.
The main body was similar in shape to a leech. It was swelling black, but the sticky mucus made him feel pretty bad. There were small eyes attached to the head. The Emperor of Parasite trembled.
Jin-woo put the Emperor of Parasite into his subspace for now. He clenched his fist and opened it so small that no one noticed. The rank of the main body dropped to F, making it easy to store. As the Emperor of Parasite disappeared, all the skeletons began to crumble and disappear. The players who were fighting fiercely looked at Jin-woo.
The skeleton in Jin-woo’s hand disappeared last.
“We-we won!”
“Uwaaaaaaa!”
“Whoaaaaaa!”
The room was soon filled with cheers.
LikeMan: They won!
Emperor of Firework: If it weren’t for Emperor Big Bro, they would have all died.
Danger Out of The Door: That’s crazy, lol. It seems like fun. I want to do it quickly.
There were about forty survivors. He thought it would be okay to reward everyone. After all, he had money left. Jin-woo had the authority to complete the quest. When Jin-woo nodded his head, the middle boss quest was completed.
“Huh? The quest is complete.”
“Gasp! Me too!”
“Wow, 3,000 gold coins?”
“We can get it in the village!”
“I heard that if G&P Bank opens later, they can exchange it for cash. Hang on, and let’s go!”
Three thousand gold coins were roughly thirty million won. A bank to connect reality and virtual reality was also planned to be built, later on, the New World Bank.
Laytwo: Wow! Are they giving those players 30 million won each?
GodJinwoo: Guys, the CEO of G&P is Lee Jin-woo, lol. That’s a small sum of money.
Prophet: That’s amazing, lol. Maybe we can eat and live in New World later.
Those who completed the quest would receive dimensional gold coins and experience points in the village. After defeating the middle boss, it would regen about a month later. If players beat the boss until then, they could go up to the next floor. Until then, this was a safe zone.
If players registered using the portal stone sold in the shop, they could come directly to this place. It was the result of implementing Luna’s suggestion and the Demon Realm’s hard work. All of the portal stones were handmade, and they could barely deliver them before the official opening. The profits were substantial, and the production continued to this day. The Demon Realm was also facing a golden age.
“Emperor!”
Luna ran to Jin-woo. The reunion scene between Kim Emperor and Luna had the highest ratings. Rundalf and Crazy Demon looked at Jin-woo with disapproving expressions. Jin-woo played the role so damn well that he took all the good scenes. Anyway, that was how the middle boss raid ended.
* * *
The middle boss raid created a huge ripple effect. G&P’s brand value rose vertically. While the whole world was watching, it was a natural result after showing such an amazing scene. G&P’s brand value was originally high, but now it was closely following the Frontline Group. The potential of The Maze: New World couldn’t be easily predicted by even experts. It was only described as a revolution that cautiously opened a new era. The videos were edited and uploaded on YouTube, and many stars were born.
Kim Emperor was truly unique. Numerous fan arts of him were being displayed on social media, and he also appeared in cartoons and memes. Fanart drawn by a few famous artists were spreading rapidly, mainly drawings of Kim Emperor being engulfed in flames and beating the skeletons.
Especially in the West, his popularity was no joke. A large U.S. comic book company planned to make a comic book in cooperation with G&P and Kim Emperor. That was how great his character was.
He was loyal enough to risk his life for his comrades, and he was a virtuous man who mercilessly cut down his enemies. Moreover, there was even a story in which he sacrificed himself to go to hell and then climbed up from hell to save everyone in a moment of crisis. Even just editing the video a little turned it into a movie.
He became such a hot topic that G&P was kept busy. It restocked their supplies quickly, and they were now in the middle of developing the second-generation login device with was planned to add functions to link with a smartphone, a more advanced payment function, and utilizing the New World bank. They barely slept as they worked hard on development.
‘The Ordeal of Greed is complete.’
Jin-woo looked at the information presented before him.
[You have completed the Ordeal of Honor and the Ordeal of Domination.]
[Stage 1 and 2 of the Ordeal of Greed have been completed.]
[You have acquired experience points.]
[The Emperor’s power has increased.]
Jin-woo was able to clear the 1st and 2nd Ordeal by achieving all the required ranks. The Ordeal of Greed was naturally completed, and the last ordeal showed up.
[The Ordeal of Greed (Stage 3) has been changed by the Incarnation of Magic and the Emperor of Gold.]
[Unmeasurable] Path of the Evil God
The Emperor of Greed handed everything down to Lee Jin-woo for the resurrection of the Devil. However, Lee Jin-woo had no intention of doing so. The Emperor of Gold and the Incarnation of Evil want Lee Jin-woo to become a greater being than the Devil. Dominate all Emperors or absorb them to become the ultimate Evil God that surpasses the Devil.
‘Evil God?’
Jin-woo nodded. The goal became a little clearer. He had to deal with the Emperors to prevent the end of the world anyway. Jin-woo looked at the village from the central control room.
As the supplies were restocked, the number of newbies increased, and the village was full of vitality. Not only adventurers but also various jobs had emerged. Some people bought land and built homes and shops in vacant lots. Now some merchants specialized in trading, people who bought fabrics to make clothes, and other craftsmen.
Avatars’ gained experience and skills were created according to what they did, and production jobs were no exception. The game was growing richer. No one forced it, but it was a freely enjoyable atmosphere.
“Then…”
Jin-woo looked at the Emperor of Parasite contained in a glass bottle. Others couldn’t see the main body or hear what it said. It just looked like an empty glass bottle. Only Jin-woo, who had the Magic Eye of Information, could confirm its identity.
[I-I was wrong. Please spare me!]
No matter how Jin-woo thought about it, the middle boss directing was amazing. Expectations for the boss were extremely high as a result. If the boss was bland, many people might be disappointed. Jin-woo wanted the players to enjoy themselves properly and make the Maze normal again. That was the reward for curing the Maze.
“Are you willing to work hard?”
[Yes! I will work hard! Please, just spare my life…]
Jin-woo told the Parasite what it had to do.
[S-so… are you saying that I should dwell in bosses or elite monsters and fight the avatars? A-and as wonderfully and splendidly as possible?]
Jin-woo nodded.
[B-but, if the monster dies…]
“You won’t die, right?”
[That’s true, but it really hurts… h-heeck! I-I understand!]
The Emperor of Parasite became a member of Sacred Ground. Now it couldn’t get away from Jin-woo.
[The Emperor of Parasite obeys the Emperor of Gold.]
[The Emperor of Gold rejects the disgusting Emperor of Parasite (main body).]
Golden power resided in the Emperor of Parasite’s main body. The disgusting leech shape crumbled with a tiny spark, leaving only the Emperor’s soul. The spark trembled.
[The Emperor of Parasite has been transformed.]
[Now, the Emperor of Parasite can only gain power with golden power instead of souls.]
[The Emperor of Parasite is on the verge of extinction. It needs a vessel for the main body. When the soul dwells in the vessel, it will be completely assimilated and will never be able to escape again.]
Jin-woo looked at the information that appeared and nodded. The Emperor of Parasite was desperate because it looked like it was going to disappear soon.
[I need a vessel to hold me. I-I wish I had limbs. P-please hurry…]
“You’re picky.”
[I-I’m sorry!]
It was a little too much to make the Emperor of Parasite inhabit a person or an animal. Jin-woo pondered for a moment and then looked at Se-yeon. She was staying in the central control room. She had moved her lab, and her affiliation also changed. She was an essential talent necessary for the operation of The Maze: New World.
Jin-woo had already explained it to Se-yeon. She didn’t understand the Emperor very well, but she immediately understood when he said it was like a monster AI artifact.
“I need something to contain the monster AI… I wish there were something like a doll or a mannequin.”
“Ah! Is something similar okay?”
When Jin-woo nodded, Se-yeon stood and headed to a corner. It was to her room, which felt more like a closet. Jin-woo tried to make her a spacious and comfortable room, but she said she was more comfortable in a dark, shady place. Jin-woo sneaked closer and looked in the open door.
‘Umm…’
There was a picture of Jin-woo attached to the wall, and there were figures underneath it. Se-yeon brought one of those figures out.
‘Magical Girl Arorong?’
It had such a name when he checked it with the Magic Eye of Information. It was Se-yeon’s hobby.
“Is this okay?”
“Ummm… maybe….”
The Magical Girl Arorong figure was wearing a pink dress and holding a magic wand with a heart. The hairstyle was also twin-tails. The detail was pretty good, and it seemed pricey.
“When it gets difficult… I could smile again while looking at Arorong.”
“I see.”
There was a sad story behind Se-yeon’s love for the Magical Girl Arorong. The atmosphere became a little gloomy. Jin-woo set up the figure and held the Emperor of Parasite.
[D-don’t tell me, there…?]
The Emperor of Parasite freaked out. Even if it weren’t a golem, a small animal would turn out to be a pity, but it was understandable. But not with this case. It was a terrible being wearing a light pink dress. It was a disgusting object that was the complete opposite of its inclination.
[P-please don’t put me in there! Please! I will do anything! Please….]
The Emperor of Parasite begged earnestly. From what it said, it seemed a little too much. Jin-woo turned his head and looked at Se-yeon. She was full of anticipation.
‘Umm…’
He owed Se-yeon a lot. She should have lived happily with Lee Min-woo ever after in the original story, but not now. Jin-woo nodded and held the Emperor of Parasite. Then he brought it to the figure.
[N-n-no! Aaaaah!]
The Emperor of Parasite was absorbed into the figure. The Magical Girl Arorong had become its main body. It couldn’t get out of the figure now forever. Jin-woo decided not to care. Anyway, it was enough as long as it worked properly.
Flinch!
The figure, which had been standing still, flinched and began to move. The skin texture had changed to be much more lively, and the expression had become rich. It blinked naturally.
“Whoosh! I will color the world brightly with the power of love and hope! Magical Girl Arorong is here!”
The figure posed and said so. Jin-woo blinked and looked at Arorong. Arorong swung her wand and made a cute face. Her voice had also changed to that of the voice actor who dubbed her in the animation.
Arorong’s body halted, and she fell forward.
“S-sobs… why me… hic.”
It looked like she was in despair. The Emperor of Parasite was completely assimilated with Arorong. It was a surprisingly neat result, but the Parasite was mentally broken and collapsed.
[S+] Magical Emperor Arorong
‘Transform with the power of love and hope!’
The Emperor of Parasite has completely assimilated with the Magical Girl Arorong and has evolved anew. As a result, it can use all of Arorong’s magic. Arorong’s habits and actions are automatically expressed.
Let’s look forward to the Magical Emperor Arorong, who has the power of love, hope, and parasitism.
Se-yeon was very happy.
“Wow! That’s great! Arorong is alive! What a great AI artifact.”
“…Please do some research together with her.”
“Yes! Understood. I will show you the best results!”
Jin-woo handed over the authority of the Emperor of Parasite, no, now it was the Magical Emperor Arorong, to Se-yeon. Arorong had no choice but to obey Se-yeon’s words. Arorong’s pain had just begun.
“Fu-fufufu!”
Se-yeon’s hand twitched, and her nostrils flared. Arorong hid and recoiled back.
“Let’s change the setting to an angel that comes from the Black Witch!”
“Kyaaaa!”
Se-yeon looked so happy. Jin-woo nodded as he watched from afar.
‘Yes, that’s enough.’
He felt relieved as if he had cast a burden off his heart.
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