## Chapter 900 – Otherworld Dungeon

“It was something I could do because I am Kim Kat!!!!”

ㅡDejaaahhhhh!!!

I roared.

Having witnessed a horrific sight, and grasping a thread of the truth of Fusion Confucianism within it, I reached the realm of Sword Flame, surpassing Sword Qi.

Of course, this spiritual awakening played a part, but so did the overflowing, intense mana within my body. After consuming the essence of the Spirit King, my mana capacity had drastically increased. Achieving such an inhuman enlightenment in that state, it was only natural that Sword Flame would emerge.

“Not anyone else!! Because I am me!!!”

A belated thrill coursed through my entire body…!

The LA Black Riots incident made me stronger!! They aren’t Black people! Just mere rioters!! The horrifying screams of the Korean-American merchants still echo vividly in my ears!! The Koreans defended themselves by arming themselves at the risk of their lives, but they couldn’t prevent the $300 million in damages!!!

The burning assets and buildings of those Korean merchants became my Sword Flame!!!!

“It was something I could do because I am me!!!!”

ㅡKugung!

Entrusting myself to the surging thrill and shouting loudly, I could warp space with just that.

“Oh…”
“K, Kat-nim…!”

They clasped their hands together as if moved by my cry. ㅡSreung! I immediately drew my sword and used the remaining mana to create Sword Flame.

ㅡHwareureureureuk!!

Clearly burning Sword Flame.

The mana consumption was extreme, but it possessed even greater power than Sword Qi. I, of all people, succeeded in creating Sword Flame! If so, then next is Sword Force!! It’s not far off!!

I am Kim Kat!!

“I’ve never been so happy!! You’re truly Kat-nim!!”

ㅡPulseok.

Hilde was almost kneeling, deeply moved.

“Wow… I think big sis is growing faster than our husband did, wow.”

Karin said in amazement.

ㅡTsupat.

I extinguished the Sword Flame as it was.

“Kat!”

Cloudy jumped and clung to me.
I naturally piggybacked her.

“How could you do that! It happened so suddenly right before my eyes…!”
“I didn’t know it would turn out like this either.”

I didn’t expect to witness the victim becoming the perpetrator right before my eyes. Many good things happened in many ways. Didn’t I save some people with it? I received a lot of rare metal junk in return.

“Anyway, I’m happy. That Father can even do something like that…”
“Yeah, thanks. Aria.”

It’s a very good phenomenon.

From now on, I will walk the path of Fusion Confucianism to prevent victims from becoming perpetrators, like in that LA Black Riots tragedy.

“Hey, Karin unni. Is that thing that the darkie did just now stronger than Sword Qi?”
“Of course, it’s stronger. That’s stronger.”
“How much?”
“Enough to devour the opponent’s Sword Qi?”
“…Darkie did well?”

ㅡClap clap clap.

Winia clapped as she spoke.

“Yeah!! I did very well!!”

I’m truly filled with satisfaction.

“…It’s such an amazing thing that I can’t come to my senses. Suddenly screaming and breaking through the limits, isn’t it?”
“It’s pretty much like that. I couldn’t bear to watch it…!”
“Calm down and soothe your heart. Still, seeing you so happy makes this one feel good too.”
“Thank you!!!”

I’m feeling extremely good right now.

“Thinking about it, that’s darkie’s characteristic. Getting stronger when he shouts.”
“That’s kind of cool.”

Anyway, I took a break and chatted with them after they witnessed my Sword Flame. They said they’d give me a reward when we get back, but I’ll think about that later. Ah, damn, I want to throw an inhuman party right now, put on a cone hat, and dance like crazy.

Of course, the conditions aren’t right, so I’ll have to skip it, unfortunately.

“Well, then.”

With that, we finished talking.

We used the things we brought to set up a makeshift tent, spread a mat on the floor, and laid out the corpses of the otherworld monsters we had hunted this time.

So far, we had only encountered one type of monster. A monster with twisted skin and a repulsive maw for a face. Those bastards enjoyed ambushing us with superhuman physical abilities.

But now, two more have been added to the otherworld monster bestiary.

One was a Brain Monster with a huge, brain-like head, supporting its body with a spinal cord-like organ, and extending tentacles in all directions.

The other was a Variant that this Brain Monster had created by sticking its tentacles into a human body.

The Variant looked exactly like the monsters we had seen so far, but there was a crucial difference. It had a tentacle-like tongue in its mouth.

“They look exactly the same.”
“They do.”

As Aria said, the tentacles that the Brain Monster used to mutate humans and the tentacles in the Variant’s mouth looked completely identical.

ㅡChijik.

Without hesitation, Risha used black magic to cut off both tongues and perform an autopsy. We watched the scene with bated breath.

“The internal structure… seems completely identical.”

It looks similar to me too.
That means the functions are the same as well.

“B, but wasn’t this a person until just a moment ago? Just a moment. To think that everything could mutate in such a short time…”

Liz unni said with a serious face.

Indeed, it was too horrific that a human could turn into this in just a few seconds.

Even extreme parents push their children into English academies until 12 AM, thinking similarly. They do such things believing that their children will become good at English.

But that doesn’t happen in reality. People don’t change suddenly. Only monsters like these can do that.

“Since it’s an otherworld being, it’s not strange. Among demons, there are those who demonize the human body. If you think of it as similar to that, it wouldn’t be too strange.”
“I, is that so?”

Anyway, we also dissected the remains of the Variant.

It was simply cut in half, and although the cut surface was burned by Sword Flame, causing some internal damage, nothing was lost. We brought everything.

“Hmm…”

Risha examined it with a serious face.

“This cannot be called a human organ. It seems that it has certainly completed its mutation in that short time.”
“…It looks like it to me too.”

The internal organs of this Variant, who was human until just a moment ago, had undoubtedly completely transformed into those of the otherworld.

I’m saying this because I know a lot about human organs.

“Wait, Witch-nim. This Variant isn’t exactly the same as the monsters we’ve been killing, right? If it has a tentacle tongue and uses it to mutate people… wouldn’t it have some other organ?”
“Ah, of course, it does. It seems like this is probably it.”

Risha used the power of black magic to lift up some internal organ.

We had been searching through the internal organs and researching them while hunting these monster bastards. However, I saw that bizarre organ with random protrusions for the first time now.

It’s an organ I’ve never seen before.

“Should I call this an egg sac…”

Yeah… maybe it’s something `similar` to an egg sac. It injects something inside that into a living creature with its tentacles to mutate it.

“…Disgusting.”

Cloudy said.

“It’s fucking gross, seriously.”

Winia also shook her head.

Anyway, we conducted an analysis in that way. It’s a very important task. We have to report to the Order, and we have a reason to stop these guys.

We must properly inform people about this danger.

“In this one’s judgment, when this brain-shaped monster mutates a living creature, it seems that those Variants also act to mutate other living creatures.”

We had almost finished the analysis.

“However, whether this Variant has the ability to mutate other living creatures when it mutates another living creature… I don’t know. No. It won’t. Perhaps all of those `general monsters` that had the largest number of individuals are all such secondary Variants. Don’t you think so?”

Everyone nodded at Risha’s words.

“…Certainly.”
“It seems like it.”
“I think so too.”

In other words, the guys we’ve been killing are secondary Variants without reproductive abilities.

“Anyway, these brain-shaped bastards are the key.”

Brain Monsters can create Variants with reproductive abilities. In other words, with just one of these, you can create an army of otherworld monsters.

It’s dangerous if these bastards get out of the palace.

Fortunately, the only entrance found was the main gate. If there are no other passages, we only need to defend that one place… However, I’m worried about them becoming violent.

Perhaps we humans woke up these bastards who were hibernating in the palace, and they realized that they had come to a new world as they tasted blood? And they are rejoicing, resolving to go outside and increase their own kind?

Above all… the monster said that there were a few other types that we hadn’t seen. I’m sure he said something about a masked bastard.

“Father. So we just need to kill those brain-shaped monsters?”
“For now, yes. They’re the number one target for extermination.”
“Then that might be like a queen.”
“Hmm… that’s a good point.”

That’s certainly true.

“But it doesn’t seem like there’s only one of those things, and if there are several, this is something I’ve been thinking about… Perhaps it wouldn’t be strange if there was a higher-level individual of this brain-shaped monster.”
“A higher-level individual?”

Yeah.

“…”

A moment of silence fell.

“There’s a possibility.”
“The other humans… honestly, they’re outside of my concern, but thinking from Father’s perspective, they should be careful. If the defense is breached and such individuals get outside, a disaster will occur.”

…I’ll have to keep this in mind too.

“I’ll go to the royal army for a bit.”

* * *

Since this was important information, I immediately went to the royal army commander’s tent. The soldiers knew my face, so my request for an audience was immediately accepted, and I received an immediate answer to come in.

“So, you’re saying you’ll give compensation and want support!!!”

But there was a guest inside.

I could tell just by the voice, and the guest was Lord Malja, or rather, the Marquis. I tapped the back of his neck with a knifehand and said.

“Old man? What are you doing here?”
“O, old man…?! And this voice!!!”

Surprised, he turned to me.

“You thief!! What brings you here!!!”

Is this bastard yelling?

“Be quiet, be quiet. Is this the old man’s living room?”
“Shut up!!!”

The dying old man has a fucking loud voice.

“…You know each other?”

The commander narrowed one eye and said to me.

“I have some personal acquaintance with him. It’s nothing special, so don’t worry about it.”
“Who said we’re acquainted, you thief!!!”
“Be quiet, you bastard!!! I said shut up!!!!!!”

ㅡGal!!!!!!!!

After scolding him loudly once, Marquis Lormalja, who had paused for a moment, took a step back.

“T, this…! Anyway!!”

Then he turned his head again and slammed his hand on the commander’s desk, saying.

“You’ll give compensation and want support!!”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that, Marquis. If the combat mage unit was helplessly defeated, there’s nothing our royal army soldiers can do even if they step forward. Rather, the number of victims will only increase.”
“But you can’t just leave them alone!!!”
“Didn’t they all go in for the rare metal ornaments? It seems that you think it’s natural to endure sacrifices for the sake of profit.”

Judging from the context, it seems that the combat mage unit led by Marquis Lormalja has suffered damage. Were they attacked by monsters and kidnapped? It seems he wants to borrow the power of the royal army to rescue them.

It’s already too late.

If they were captured, they would all have become Variants.

“Above all… right now, the Marquis is thinking of using our soldiers as scouts. In that situation, support is impossible.”
“You’re not making any sense!!”
“You’d better go to the Royal Knights.”
“How dare you!!”

Just by looking at him, it seemed that Marquis Lormalja was acting up again.

“Ah, damn it. Old man. Be quiet. Did you get dementia and your voice got louder? Huh?”
“Don’t keep teasing me!!! If you keep doing that, you’ll see blood no matter what position you’re in!!!”
“Hehehe, Salverin is the one who’s seeing blood.”
“Kuaaaaaaaak!!! You damn thief bastard!!!”

As he began to roar, the soldiers came and grabbed Marquis Lormalja’s arms and took him out of the tent.

“That idiot.”

I need to beat him up sometime.
The old man’s voice is fucking loud, but he’s just being stubborn.

“Thank you for chasing him away. I was in trouble.”
“That guy is less than human.”
“Hahaha, it seems so.”

Anyway, I sat down in front of him.

“Commander. How is the exploration going?”
“I’m having the soldiers explore while drawing maps. But it’s not fast. We’re moving while minimizing sacrifices, so the work is slow. Rather, it seems like we’re following the path that the knights and mages have opened up.”

It doesn’t seem to be going well.

“Is that so? Anyway. I’ve brought very important information. I’m telling you this because I’m telling it for the sake of the public good. It seems that I’m the only one who knows this.”
“What…?”
“Can you send a messenger to the capital right away after hearing the story? Again, it’s that important.”
“Well, if Paladin-nim says so, of course, I have to do that. Then please explain what happened.”