Jin-Woo couldn't believe his ears. Who was helping whom? A monster helping a human? The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
"You expect me to believe that?"
The man assumed a solemn expression.
"I'll make you able to believe."
The man's lips moved at blinding speed, as if a video had been fast-forwarded dozens, no, hundreds of times over, and he began chanting. The instant that happened, Jin-Woo sensed the mana in the cavern coalescing around the man and drew his dagger in the blink of an eye. If even the slightest hostility had been present in that mana, the blade would have pierced the man's forehead on the spot. But Jin-Woo held back. The mana that had moved was an infinitesimal amount compared to what Jin-Woo or the man possessed, and he could detect no hostility or malice in it at all.
'...'
Jin-Woo held his breath, prepared to unleash the ultimate form of his 'Dagger Throw' skill — 'Dagger Storm.' A needle-sharp tension pricked at his skin. Before long, the strange language flowing from the man's mouth ceased, and a 'ding' rang out as a system message appeared.
[The King of Giants, the primordial Monarch 'Legia,' is casting the skill 'Oath of Fidelity (Deal).'] [If you accept the 'Oath of Fidelity (Deal),' both the caster and the acceptor will be unable to speak lies to one another.] [Will you accept the 'Oath of Fidelity (Deal)?'] (Y/N)
Before the contents of the deal the man had proposed, what caught Jin-Woo's eye was the title pointing to the man himself.
'King of Giants...'
The giant-type monsters he had hunted on the way here came to mind. It was probably no coincidence that the face of the monster guarding the Gate outside resembled this man's face. While Jin-Woo remained silent, the man waited patiently.
'What should I do?'
Staring at the blinking Y/N, Jin-Woo deliberated for a moment. The fact that the system had issued a message meant the effect was guaranteed. He needed to weigh who stood to lose more from being unable to lie. But. There was no calculation needed — the conclusion was already clear.
'Obviously, he's the one at a disadvantage.'
Because Jin-Woo held the upper hand. It might seem a bit ruthless, but if a question came up that he absolutely must not answer, he could simply dispose of the man. It was a deal the other party had proposed, after all. Jin-Woo wasn't naive enough to feel guilt toward a monster.
'Yes.'
Ding. The system message that appeared alongside the mechanical chime quickly confirmed the deal had been struck.
[The 'Oath of Fidelity (Deal)' has been established.] [Until the contract is mutually dissolved, the caster and acceptor cannot speak lies to one another by mutual consent.]
The moment Jin-Woo accepted the oath, the King of Giants repeated his earlier words as though he had been waiting for exactly that.
"Unseal my bindings. I will help you." "Ugh... ugh..."
Jin-Woo's eyes went wide. His voice was stuck in his throat, unable to come out. Seeing this, the King of Giants let out a faint chuckle.
"Yes, that is the Oath of Fidelity." "..."
Indeed. The effect was unmistakable. Half out of curiosity and half as a test, Jin-Woo had tried to say, 'I trust you completely. I'll release your chains right now,' but found he truly could not utter a word.
'This is the Oath of Fidelity...'
Jin-Woo's heart raced as he confirmed the skill's effect. This meant he could trust whatever the King of Giants said — to some extent. The reason it wasn't one hundred percent was simple: if both parties were required to speak only the truth, the man would surely hide any information that was to his disadvantage. Jin-Woo's gaze grew even sharper than it had been before the oath.
"Why are you able to hold a normal conversation, unlike the other monsters?" "Monsters?" "The creatures that come out of Gates." "Ah — you mean the residents of the chaos realm."
The King of Giants sneered.
"On the contrary, I have a question for you. How can you place the residents of the chaos realm and the Monarchs who rule them on the same level?"
His expression became commanding enough to make the word "king" feel well-earned.
"The residents of the chaos realm that pour out of Gates are all deserters. They were defeated by the Rulers' armies and taken prisoner. Having been held in their grasp for eons, it is only natural that their sense of self would be damaged. But I am a king. I am different from them. I endured the long years and waited only for the day I would break free of their hands."
The king smiled faintly.
"And now, I have met you." "..."
Jin-Woo tried to absorb his words as objectively as possible, without any emotional reaction.
'If he truly is a being one tier above the other monsters...'
This time, he might finally get a clue. Gulp. He swallowed hard. There were many things he wanted to ask. But first, there was something he wanted to confirm.
"The army of the Rulers — is it made up of beings in silver armor with wings on their backs...?" "Yes. Those are the Rulers' soldiers."
Just as he thought. It was like a puzzle piece clicking into place. The vision the angel statue had shown him — perhaps it hadn't been fabricated. Perhaps it was someone's genuine memory. What on earth was happening in this land? Jin-Woo asked.
"What do those Rulers want by keep sending monsters at us?"
The reason Gates appeared. If he knew that, couldn't he find a way to prevent them from forming in the first place? That was what Jin-Woo was most interested in.
"Did I not tell you?"
The King of Giants spoke with emphasis.
"They are preparing for war." "War?" "They intend to turn this world into a battlefield and fight the Monarchs once more." "I don't really follow... How does sending monsters turn the Earth into a battlefield?"
Well, there were times when things on Earth were already worse than a battlefield. Jin-Woo recalled what had happened at Jin-Ah's school. Still, that was a human affair — it was hard to see it as groundwork for a battle between non-human forces.
"To infuse your world with mana."
Thud. It felt as though Jin-Woo had been struck on the back of the head. If monsters were the catastrophe that Gates brought, then mana was the blessing. Not only Hunters but many ordinary people thought so too. Magic stone and mana crystal. Objects containing mana had become the greatest energy source of the era. And those were actually a stepping stone for war? The King of Giants continued his explanation.
"There is no better method for planting power where none existed than the blood of those who wield it. The Rulers decided to use their prisoners."
That the concentration of mana was growing steadily denser needed no saying. It was not a natural phenomenon — it was the fruit of a tree that had sprouted from a field cultivated with monsters' blood.
"Mana strengthens a world. Their plan was to strengthen your world so that it would not be annihilated by the shock of the war." "So the war is...?" "A rematch between the Monarchs and the Rulers. Before long, the world you live in will become hell."
The battle between the Rulers' armies and the monsters — or rather, the creatures before they became monsters. Jin-Woo had seen their fight play out in the data, blow by blow. If Earth had been chosen as the venue for such a colossal battle, the king's words about it becoming hell were no exaggeration. The king's expression darkened.
"There is no time." "...?" "Once it becomes known that I made contact with you, neither the Monarchs nor the Rulers will simply stand by and watch. The Rulers' emissary may already be moving." "Since a while back, you've been implying those guys are targeting me... Why?" "You really don't know anything at all."
The king continued his explanation in a tone of pity.
"The power you possess is not truly yours."
Nod. Jin-Woo agreed. The Shadow Monarch's abilities had been granted to him by the System. He could not deny that the power was not his own.
"That the power came to you is proof that its original master betrayed the Monarchs."
Come to think of it, the angel statue had said something similar. It seemed the angel statue had been one of the residents of the chaos realm who once served the Monarchs. As questions piled on top of one another, the King of Giants spoke.
"You have become an enemy of both the Monarchs and the Rulers. However, I alone swear to stand on your side and fight. So, will you not help me?"
By now, the King of Giants had deemed his persuasion sufficient and adopted a solemn expression. However, Jin-Woo calmly asked back.
"If all you're saying is you'll stand on my side, wouldn't it be more straightforward to simply become one of my shadow soldiers?"
The King of Giants flinched. It was only an instant, but overlapping with the human face was the true visage of a monarch. It was not wrong. To a human, a loyal subordinate offered greater value than a new ally. The king spoke, admiring the fact that Jin-Woo had not missed that point.
"Both the Monarchs and the Rulers are composed of spiritual bodies. When a spiritual body dies, it is destroyed and vanishes, so it cannot become a shadow. In other words, I cannot become your soldier."
Jin-Woo nodded.
'So that was why.'
The reason the king had chosen to help Jin-Woo instead of taking the easy route of becoming a shadow soldier — this was it. The Oath of Fidelity was still in effect, so there was no need to verify the truth. Lost in thought, Jin-Woo raised his head. The King of Giants asked.
"Do I now have sufficient reason for you to help me?"
Jin-Woo looked at him. The King of Giants wore a face brimming with conviction that his bindings were about to be undone. Jin-Woo harbored no twisted resentment such as feeling ill at the sight of another's joy, nor was there any reason to turn away someone who had offered to become an ally of his own volition. But. But why did this gnawing sense of unease persist?
'Something... something is missing.'
He had to figure out what it was. Beads of cold sweat gradually formed on Jin-Woo's forehead. The King of Giants made his plea once more.
"Break the chains."
Jin-Woo let out a deep breath. No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason to refuse the King of Giants' request. The more he agonized over what he was missing, the more he felt himself sinking.
'Was it just unnecessary worry...'
Jin-Woo approached the King of Giants with the 'Demon King's Dagger' in hand. The King of Giants nodded to Jin-Woo, who had walked right up to him. Jin-Woo nodded as well. When he swung the mana-infused dagger, the chains snapped apart effortlessly. Thud. Thud. Thud. His heart was pounding irregularly. Why did a vague sense of foreboding cling to him even now that he had made his decision? Thud. The second chain was severed. The King of Giants neither rejoiced nor grieved; he simply wore a solemn expression and waited for every last binding to fall away. Third. Thud. Jin-Woo leaned behind the king to cut the chain embedded in his back. And then. Thud! His heart lurched violently. It felt as though his chest had plummeted. What he had been missing, why he had that feeling — the realization crashed in roughly, forcing its way through a narrow crevice in his thoughts like water surging through a gap in rock. Jin-Woo stopped the hand that had been about to sever the chain and turned to face the king.
"You said you would stand on my side?" "Of course. If you help me, I will help you. This is a fair and complete deal between Monarchs."
He had heard this answer several times already. This was not the answer Jin-Woo had wanted to confirm. So Jin-Woo asked the real question.
"Then are you on humanity's side?" "..."
The king fell silent. The Oath of Fidelity. Bound by that enchantment, the King of Giants could give no answer whatsoever. Jin-Woo looked once more at the back of his neck. Embedded there was a black mana crystal, gleaming coldly. As long as this thing existed, he had to obey the voice of the Rulers. Like every other monster. 'Kill the humans.' In that instant, killing intent flared. The King of Giants, with his freed right hand, lunged for Jin-Woo's temple. But it wasn't enough to reach him. Jin-Woo ducked his head to dodge the attack and drove the dagger into the king's chest. Thunk. The chains might as well not have been there — the blade sank deep into his chest.
"Ghk!"
The King of Giants coughed up a mouthful of blood. But this wasn't enough. Leaving this creature alive was too dangerous. He could become a calamity. Having made that judgment, Jin-Woo dodged the king's thrashing hands with upper-body movement alone and plunged the dagger into his chest again and again. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. The sixth time. After the dagger had pierced his chest six times, the King of Giants' hands finally went still. It was over. Jin-Woo pulled the dagger free. The King of Giants met Jin-Woo's gaze directly and grinned.
"Regrettably, this is where it ends." "..."
Jin-Woo stepped back and silently flicked the blood from his blade. The king continued speaking.
"The more violently the residents of your world clash with the prisoners of the chaos realm, the more the world will transform into a battlefield."
Coughing up blood once more, the king smiled one last time.
"May everything you seek to protect be burned to ash by the flames of war..." "That won't happen."
Jin-Woo cut him off flatly, swung the dagger, and severed the king's head. Slash!
[You have defeated the master of the Dungeon.]
The moment he drew his last breath, an ocean's worth of mana that had been sleeping inside him burst outward. The transformation of the world had begun.