Chapter 176: Chapter 54. Genesis (2)
Homunculus…artificial life…
The seven guild masters had heard about it before but had no idea what exactly it was. However, upon seeing it, they certainly felt fear.
A guild master did not equate to being the strongest one among the members. Even within the guild, many members were stronger than the guild master. However, the guild master was the one who chose heroes and raised them.
Also, the guild master was the most experienced in dungeon explorations. Therefore, it was easy for the guild master to easily size up the strength of an opponent.
The strongest ones that the seven guild masters knew were Kirin and the man called the savior. But it looked like this homunculus would also be considered as one. The artificial golem used by Dark Elf Rose was also strong, but not as strong as this monster.
“Hi…”
The homunculus made a strange sound and looked at the guild masters. It came closer and started to lick their cheeks with its long tongue.
Gulp!
Some people had saliva all over their faces, while the others grasped their swords.
Roy saw that and said, “This child is blind. It makes up for its lack of sight by having great senses of smell and touch. Right now, it’s recognizing the friendly forces. Don’t worry.”
“You mean by licking our cheeks with its tongue?”
Kim Yongwoo rather closed his eyes. He thought he was a cheeky man, but when the homunculus grabbed his neck with its tongue, he got so scared.
“Yes,” Roy went on, “and this child will work as a guard. Make a team with reliable awakened heroes and let it recognize them. My master told me it’s a bit wild, so without getting acquainted with the ‘team’, it might attack our side.”
“What about you, Mr. Roy? Are you not going with it?”
Roy shook his head. “Rose and I need to plant seeds and hold a ritual. We can’t go far.”
“Seeds? What do you mean?”
As Kim Yongwoo rubbed his eyes, Roy took out two seeds from his pocket. One was blue, and the other was red. They seemed extraordinary.
“These are seeds of the Trees of Life and Death. They are supreme entities derived from the Tree of Origin. They will be a big help to us if we grow them properly. However, once planted, these seeds might attract monsters.”
Roy’s words were sincere. He had changed a lot. He was no longer the timid Roy that he used to be. However, even if he had changed, he seemed a little nervous in revealing information about the seeds.
The guild masters sensed his mood.
Representing other guild masters, Arin, the guild master of the Guild of Marten, asked Roy, “So, will there be a monster wave?”
“Well, to be honest, my master had not killed all the monsters in Korea yet. There is a possibility that the remaining monsters will come at us.”
Many stray monsters were wandering around after losing their masters. They didn’t have a sense of home or dwelling, so they stayed in Korea, attacking people.
While the Trees of Life and Death were growing, they would produce a certain smell that was tempting to some monsters. Consequently, these monsters would rush to get to the trees.
Though slightly embarrassed, Arin put on a brave face and asked again, “Why should we take such a risk?”
“They draw monsters while they grow—yes—but once they are fully grown, they will defeat them.”
“How about we plant the seeds later then? I guess it won’t be too late to plant them after everything is stabilized.”
“No,” Roy replied to Arin, shaking his head. “Now is the right time. If we do not plant these in three days, we will have to wait for 12 years.”
Roy looked up at the ceiling. He seemed like was focused on something beyond it.
Arin turned her attention to the other six guild masters. They exchanged glances and asked for opinions regarding the matter. Everybody was uncertain but thought it was worth trying.
When everyone agreed, Arin spoke again, “I guess we should clean up as soon as possible.”
She was referring to the old government forces. They committed terrorism. The war with them had to end as soon as possible. It would be best to do so at most in three days. If they didn’t act now, the government troops and the monsters might attack them.
The key was the homunculus. The power ratio between the new forces with Kirin and the old government forces were about 6.5:3.5. However, the government forces employed guerilla tactics, so it was hard to swiftly get rid of them.
It was at that moment when Roy and Rose suddenly opened their eyes wide and looked back. The only thing behind them was their shadows, but the two started talking as if someone was there.
“Yes? Then what about the ritual?”
“Right. Roy isn’t reliable. It will be hard to have a ritual only for both—”
Rose stopped talking and pinned her ears back. It seemed like she was hearing something. However, the guild masters could not hear anything. They were all puzzled.
“Can we? B-but Your Majesty doesn’t have to do this. Just give us advice. We can handle it.”
“No. It’s better for Rose to go. Your Majesty, please be at peace.”
The guild masters wondered upon hearing the words “Your Majesty”. They figured that it wasn’t the savior as Roy and Rose called him “Master”. Therefore, it meant there was another being that the two dark elves were taking orders from other than him.
Silence ensued for about 10 seconds. Roy and Rose lowered their heads.
“Okay…”
“I will try.”
Shortly after, somebody appeared from the shadows. The plan gradually became clear. The guild masters were out of breath as they saw the creature.
It was a woman wearing a silky robe. Her skin and ears showed that she was a dark elf like Roy and Rose. Her face was veiled, except for her eyes, but she emitted an overwhelming presence.
There was an impregnable atmosphere around her. Despite only her eyes being visible, they could tell she was a beauty. The men had to suppress the urge to stretch out their hands. They wanted to tear off the cloth covering her face.
“Nice to meet you,” the dark elf said.
“Oh…”
All male guild masters, including Kim Yongwoo, were speechless. Meanwhile, all the women, except for Arin, were also surprised. How charming her voice was!
The female dark elf did not care about their reactions and began to speak, “This mission, I will come along.”
***
The deadline was three days.
It was honestly tight. It was impossible to catch all scattered enemies. No matter how powerful the beings that joined the team were, there would be a limit to their speed.
That was common sense.
But that common sense was smashed. The tables were turned.
The homunculus was excellent in finding enemies. Its senses of smell and touch precisely spotted those who used their hiding skills.
Moreover, in terms of speed, it was unmatched by anyone else. Although its destructive power was weaker than its speed, it was still an insurmountable skill compared to humans.
However, if one strong being could finish the war, they would have done it already. Even though Kirin declared she would not fight against humans, the golem that Roy and Rose had brought was quite strong as well.
The problem was the number. Even weak skills could constitute a resilient power when there were hundreds or thousands of them. Rose’s golem had been caught once in a trap by the old government forces. During that time, it had been hit directly by 2,000 skills and was severely damaged. Numbers were not the only concern, but it was something that could not be ignored.
At present, they had not only one strong being but two. And one of them was exceptionally strong than anyone else. Luck was on their side.
Crumble!
Stab!
The dark elf lady moved fast, sensing the opponents’ next moves.
In the midst of the enemy, she recognized all the traps they had set, predicted their actions, and swiftly killed them. She had incredible movements. She had a neat and fluid fighting technique. As soon as one opponent screamed, the other one behind also yelled out.
In three days, they finally succeeded in attacking the headquarters of the government troops. Of course, the dark elf and the homunculus weren’t the only ones involved in the battle.
Thousands of awakened heroes surrounded the headquarters located in the middle of the mountains. The seven guild masters mobilized all their members to stay on guard here.
“Don’t let them get away!”
“We have the Goddess of Victory with us!”
The morale of their allies was boosted. In contrast, the confidence of the enemy was extremely low.
There hadn’t been a clear winner in the battle between the two sides. However, the situation was reversed after two strong creatures joined.
In particular, the female dark elf called the ‘Goddess of Victory’ played a huge part. They gained momentum, so the outcome seemed predetermined.
***
The Trees of Life and Death were accidental results of the Tree of Origin’s upgrade.
Lyhee had not reported it to me because she liked their peculiar colors. However, the Spirits of Fire caught her.
Fire One, Fire Two, and Fire Three were tired of Lyhee’s bossing them around and told Rei and Sera about the seeds. In the end, Lyhee was forced to hand the two seeds over to me. She did so sorely.
No matter how much she had been upgraded, Lyhee was still Lyhee. It seemed like she would never change.
Anyway…
“It will be difficult to plant them in the dungeon,” I muttered.
The Trees of Life and Death attracted monsters while growing. They amplified the monsters’ aggressiveness. The monsters would act instinctively and ignore my commands. Thus, it would be best not to plant them in the dungeon.
“It is ideal for promoting the growth of humans.”
I stood in front of the Dungeon Core, frowning.
There were conditions to grow both trees. The Tree of Life grew when birth occurred near it, and the Tree of Death grew when death happened nearby.
And when both trees grew, they would “awaken” the surrounding species. For example, in the case of humans, there would be a higher percentage of awakened heroes appearing.
Some might ask if it was applicable to monsters, too. However, one should bear in mind that there were differences between humans and monsters.
Even if the monsters were awakened the same way as humans, the monsters would not become strong. However, humans were able to hold “possibilities” in them. That was the main difference.
Besides, there was a high probability that the dungeon would be a mess if two trees were growing inside it. So, I thought it would be better to use them to make humans stronger.
“It will be more beneficial to me if there are more awakened heroes.”
Above all, humans in Korea needed to improve as soon as possible.
“It’s time for a change. It’s time for a new beginning.”
I might be able to deal with one faction of Archdukes, but I could not handle them if they teamed up. If that happened, Korean humans would be helpful—no, they ‘should’ be helpful. That was why I was doing this.
“Humans, do not disappoint me.”
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