Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

163 – Accelerating Threat

 

In the myriad of outer universes governed by laws entirely different from those of the universe that Earth inhabits, there exists a universe dominated by countless beasts. The gods named this universe the ‘Beast King Realm.’

The Beast King Realm is ruled by the law of the jungle, where strength of the body is paramount over technology, magic, science, or intellect. It is a universe teeming with a variety of monstrous creatures, more diverse and bizarre than any monster imaginable by humans, all engaged in a cycle of birth and slaughter.

“Kwaeeeeek!!!”

“Grrroooarrr!”

Banara, the Beast King and ruler of the countless beasts in the Beast King Realm, sat cross-legged, listening to the deafening roars of the colossal beasts. Despite the cacophony of screams and roars that filled the space around him, Banara, with his eyes closed, appeared as if he were listening to a lullaby, calmly healing his wounds.

Unlike other celestial beings who preferred silence, Banara considered the primal screams of beasts facing death to be the most invigorating song of life.

‘Kill more, devour more. The void left by death is the most comfortable cradle for new strong ones to be born.’

As Banara listened to the agonized screams, his brows furrowed when the roars began to subside. The constant cacophony of screams and roars was the hallmark of the Beast King’s domain. Any disruption implied a challenger daring to confront him.

‘Which insolent fool dares…?’

Despite having lost some of his power after encountering Cha Myung-jun on Earth, Banara was still the ruler of an entire universe. If he had been able to use his full power, he could have defeated Cha Myung-jun with a single punch.

Outer universe beings face penalties when invading other universes, unable to use their full power. As the overflow progresses and the erosion increases, these penalties decrease. However, Banara’s power was reduced to less than half, leading to his defeat by Cha Myung-jun.

Now, after his defeat in the Amazon, Banara was focused on regaining his lost power, preparing for the ‘Festival Day’ when he could unleash his full strength.

Having recovered over 90% of the wounds inflicted by Cha Myung-jun, Banara opened his eyes and looked ahead. Sitting atop the highest peak in the Beast King Realm, Banara possessed senses sharp enough to perceive everything happening within his domain with just a slight exertion of his body.

At this moment, Banara’s keen senses detected an unexpected intruder in the Beast King Realm.

‘Gorsadon the Giant Beast King, Aftie the Slaughter King, Itar the Destroyer Beast… All my subordinates who rule the Beast King Realm have ceased fighting. Why?’

It wasn’t out of fear. The beasts in the Beast King Realm had evolved to the point where the sense of fear had atrophied.

Yet, even with his acute senses, Banara couldn’t identify the intruder.

‘In that case…’

From above to below.

As Banara’s hand chop descended at a not-so-fast speed, the powerful shockwave it generated began to tear through the ground, a force so immense it was hard to believe it came from such a small palm. Unlike typical shockwaves, Banara’s shockwave seemed to grow stronger the further it traveled from him.

-Quaaack!!-

Thousands of monsters, whose bodies were impervious to tank shells or missile strikes, burst like balloons pricked by needles upon contact with the shockwave. Gigantic ancient trees, boasting strength dozens of times greater than granite, snapped like brittle reeds. The shockwave summoned by Banara left a colossal scar on the ground, one that would take millennia to heal, and shot straight towards the presumed location of the intruder.

Watching the shockwave extend beyond his sight, Banara felt a sense of satisfaction. It seemed his power was recovering faster than he had anticipated. However, even this devastating strike, which left a scar across more than a quarter of the planet, did not match the full strength he possessed when fully recovered.

‘Still, it should be enough to deal with that strange human.’

But a familiar voice that reverberated through Banara’s eardrums suggested otherwise.

‘Banara, if this is your full strength, Earth will be your grave.’

“Hollodeug. Have the rules changed? Since when do the Twelve Heavenly Lords visit another’s domain without permission?”

Surprisingly, the intruder, who was far beyond Banara’s sight, understood his muttered words and appeared before him in an instant.

“Kekek… Beast King Banara. It’s been a while since the last erosion. Quite some time, indeed.”

“Monster King Hollodeug. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t dirty my Beast King Realm with your filthy tentacles.”

“Kekekek… I knew you’d say that, so I’m hovering slightly above the ground.”

Banara sensed that the wriggling tentacles covering Hollodeug’s body were not touching the ground. However, instead of the sensation of tentacles rubbing against the earth, Banara felt a different kind of discomfort.

“Can’t you at least stop oozing slime?”

“Kek… Sorry, that’s beyond my control.”

Banara couldn’t rashly attack the opponent before him. If it were any other of the Twelve Heavenly Lords, he would have torn them apart for offending him, regardless of whether he could win or not. But even Banara, the Beast King, had to be cautious with Hollodeug, the Monster King.

Hollodeug’s universe, filled with bizarre creatures that seemed a mix of insects and beasts, was as infamous as the Beast King Realm. And Hollodeug, the ruler of the Monster Realm, was a monster among monsters, capable of annihilating all life in his chaotic universe single-handedly.

Despite his immense strength, Hollodeug had another nickname: ‘The King of Escape.’ This moniker came from his tendency to flee any fight that seemed even slightly unfavorable, using his subordinates as shields.

‘That’s precisely why he’s one of the most challenging opponents to face.’

Of course, to defeat an opponent, one must first confront them. Whether through bait or traps, the opponent must be met. But Hollodeug avoided any confrontation unless he was certain of victory, leading many powerful beings across various universes to chase his shadow in vain until their species were wiped out.

Banara knew well that the being standing before him was not Hollodeug’s true form but merely an avatar.

Although no one had confirmed it, it was widely believed that Hollodeug possessed an Origin artifact called the ‘Cloak of Concealment,’ which had the power to hide his true form from any being in the universe.

Banara addressed the tentacles dripping strange black liquid before him, “So, what did you mean by what you said earlier? Are you implying that even if I use my full power, I can’t defeat Cain’s Legacy?”

“Kekek… You understood correctly. You cannot defeat the heir of Cain’s Legacy.”

“No, that’s not right. Even though I lost the last fight, considering the strength he had at the time, he wasn’t that powerful. Even Cain’s Legacy could be turned into scrap metal if I used my full power.”

“Kekek… I’m not saying you’re weak. I’m saying Cain’s Legacy is absurdly powerful.”

“I’m telling you, I fought Cain’s Legacy, and it wasn’t that impressive. If it weren’t for the limits, I would have won.”

“Kekek… The Cain’s Legacy that defeated you is just one of the seven pieces of Cain’s inheritance. If he unlocks all the seals before the Festival Day… Kek… not only you but all Twelve Heavenly Lords combined wouldn’t be able to defeat him.”

“So, is that why you’re here? To tell me we’re doomed and should just give up and sleep? Do you think the constellations will just sit and watch that happen?”

“Kekek… Of course not. And I didn’t come to urge you to give up. Quite the opposite.”

Hollodeug continued, explaining that while Cain’s Legacy was indeed powerful, only the first seal was currently unlocked. At this stage, even without all Twelve Heavenly Lords combining their strength, they could still face the heir of Cain’s Legacy.

Banara’s ears perked up at Hollodeug’s suggestion that they could confront the heir now. Pretending to be disinterested, Banara asked, “So, you’re saying we don’t need everyone’s strength, just a few? Is that why you came to me?”

“Kekek… Yes. I can’t do it alone. I need an ally…”

“And you chose me as your ally?”

“Kekek… There’s one more…”

“Who?”

“Kekek… That’s a secret… My instincts tell me not to reveal it.”

“Are you implying I might be tortured and reveal it?”

As soon as Banara finished speaking, an immense pressure emanated from his body. It wasn’t a physical wave but a kind of murderous intent, a powerful emotional aura that could pulverize everything around him with sheer emotion.

Despite Banara’s threatening aura, the tentacled creature in the black robe spoke calmly, as if indifferent to Banara’s outburst.

However, Hollodeug gave Banara an unbelievable answer. Known for not even considering plans that weren’t guaranteed to succeed, Hollodeug revealed that Myung-jun’s existence was so threatening that he was willing to take a risk of failure.

“Kekek… If not now, it will be impossible. Even with an ally, the success rate is 95.35%. In all my millennia, this is the first time I’ve attempted something this dangerous. If we wait, the success rate will only drop.”

It was as if Hollodeug had seen the future and was utterly convinced. Banara, intrigued by this certainty, asked, “Alright, I’ll join you. What do I need to do?”

Hollodeug, as if expecting Banara’s response, replied, “An alliance. My monsters and your beasts. We’ll simultaneously deploy the aberrations of our two universes through a single gate.”

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