Level 0 Master

Chapter 102: Vol. 4 Ep. 15

How should I attack the next invasion routes?

The black priest Pangnilin suddenly rushed in to report to Sungjin, who was strategizing. "Master Sungjin. It's an urgent report."

Sungjin watched the priest ring the summoning stone as he positioned himself leisurely on his chair. "What is it?"

"According to the information obtained by the Eyes of God, the golden king is preparing to desertize all four regions." The Eye of God was a spy organization run by the black priest in Rupellion.

"Desertization? What do you mean?"

"I'll explain."

After Pangnilin explained, Sungjin pressed his fingers against his temple. "He wants to ruin invasion routes by destroying his own lands? Is that possible?"

"Yes. It's been possible since the Green Land became a desert."

"So it's not a normal occurrence. To think it wasn't just a natural disaster but a reproducible phenomenon." Sungjin mumbled. "Ha…This is beyond my limits to the extreme." You are planning to burn hundreds and thousands of people, too? He knew Kapitle was a ruler who exploited all of the extras to the extremes of poverty in order to accumulate wealth.

Zakiya smiled next to him. "Did you not know that he would annihilate millions of extras?" Only those who can do that can dominate the continent. It's the truth. One can't win with morals.

"No. What I didn't know was that he could use the Eye of Ra without you. Didn't you say otherwise?" Sungjin's presumption wasn't simply because he believed Zakiya. He had thought that if Kapitle could use the Eye, he would have already used it on other countries.

"It's not normal, but it's been a long time since he last tested his powers. Perhaps he set up a response magical formation that works only within his territory."

"Makes sense." Sungjin nodded.

If Kapitle could handle the Eye by his own for his goal, he would have already attacked them. Since he hadn't, that meant he needed to prepare something special for his targets for slaughter. But if left unattended, Kapitle will make a move even if it burns and kills the extras of his territory and land. Millions of lives now depended on his choice.

"The Eye of Ra." Sungjin sent a piercing glance at Zakiya.

"What is it?" Zakiya smiled lightly and put her hand on the hem of her chest.

"Is there a way to stop its activation?"

"If you're going to steal it for your own use, the preparation will become too complicated."

"What if I just want to stop it?"

"There is no choice but to destroy it. Fortunately, that's possible too."

"Hmm?"

"My family has a secret weapon that's been handed down: a self-exploding enchantment." Zakiya smiled charmingly, saying she would use her secret to do whatever Sungjin wanted. She did not bring up a word of her conversation with Kapitle. "But it also means that once you use it, you can't use it again. A weapon that's destroyed completely after a single touch: would you mind losing it?" It's a waste. Zakiya smiled. A mighty power makes a mighty ruler. There couldn't be a monarch who didn't know the value of such a weapon, which could have more uses.

"It's better for it to be gone for future generations," Sungjin declared shortly. Things like that shouldn't exist. Later, a new war may break out. But, even then, heroes will compete against each other on the battlefield. But battles had to stop at the battlefield. If the destructive weapon landed in the hands of the wrong person, it could cause another tragedy.

If there's one thing I like in this world more than Earth, it's that the civilians aren't involved in the war. How cruel wars were on earth to its civilians, wars beyond the battlefields and soldiers, with the development of science. He would remove the forbidden weapon so no one would ever feel the temptation to use it.

"Is that so? I understand, but you must be determined. The desert of illusion will always be a part of Kapitle's powers. He's probably predicting that we'll be looking for the Eye of Ra, and we don't know what traps he may have prepared."

"Possibly."

"But, because Kapitle doesn't know what's hidden in the Pyramids in the Sky, he will be wary and not approach us directly."

"It's prudent to worry about a counterattack, is this it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then that prudence will become an opportunity for us."

"Yes. I will be your guide inside the pyramid." Without a word of mention of Kapitle's instructions, Zakiya smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Good. Then I will prepare a way to infiltrate the entrance to the pyramid. "

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Sungjin stood up recklessly, saying that he wouldn't let Kapitle kill millions of young people.

But it might be a trap… a lure… His servants were concerned, but they didn't try to stop him. It's probably Master Sungjin's decision after having considered all of those possibilities.

He had a sharper mind than theirs. Of course he would have already calculated the likelihood and nevertheless planned to go. As far as this matter was concerned, the man did not budge.

Only the results would tell if his competitive spirit would be his destruction against his greatest enemy, Kapitle, or something to his advantage.

They could only sit by and watch.

Chapter 9

In Eldorado, at the command of Kapitle, pillars engulfed in flames were stationed in each of the four regions.

A pictogram was embedded in the pillar made of black stone that wasn't damaged by the red flames, but the pictogram kept emitting an omen of red flame.

No one knew who had started the rumors of the column's ominousness, but it had already spread among the extras.

"That is the pillar that will bring ruin to this land. When there is enough of them, the God of Fire will descend from the skies and burn all of them." People were afraid.

"Is it true? But still, would he try to kill all of us? We always paid our taxes."

"It may be true. Apparently our ruler is planning to turn the region into a desert to prevent the advancement of a new young king of a neighboring country…"

"Then what about us? Is he asking us to die?"

They had worked so hard to pay their taxes. Would they be abandoned? They wanted to pull out that pillar in its entirety, but the heroes on guard looked at them menacingly. "Why are you not working?"

The terror before them was scarier than the awaiting danger. The extras dispersed without a single word of resistance, but their uncertainty and hopelessness grew bigger and bigger. Is he… really going to kill us all? Is he going to exterminate us?

They wished it wasn't true, but they were worried that it was. Not knowing whether the impending disaster that would affect them was real or not, they were downtrodden. They couldn't do anything, like passengers stuck in a sinking ship who didn't know what was happening outside their locked door. They simply prayed that nothing would happen and for someone to save them if something did.

The desert of illusion.

A few nomads were riding their camels across the heart of the desert. They were Sungjin and his teammates.

"We arrived without many difficulties, which is more than I expected."

Sungjin laughed at Ereka's words. "It's because of the spy's leak that we were going to attack the obelisks in each region rather than the pyramids in the sky."

"Uu, there's too much sand." Rachel spewed out some sand and cried out.

"Hang in there. It will be over soon." Eustasia patted her gently.

"But where is the pyramid?" Jenna looked at Zakiya and asked what was happening. "Isn't it supposed to be here according to the coordinates?"

"You're right. The coordinates indicate here. Now it's your turn."

At Sungjin's instructions, Zakiya smiled and kissed the back of his hand. "As Your Majesty wishes."

"Ee." Ereka tried to say something, but Zakiya shook her bell. A mysterious and glorious sound rang out, and in the middle of the dunes a huge pyramid emerged. It was so large that the tip could not be seen.

Ten times the size of the earth's pyramid. Sungjin's neck ached just from looking up at it. "It's huge."

"This was… right in front of us?" Ereka's mouth fell open.

"It's magnificent. Truly… It looks as if the object may be asleep in there." Eustasia no longer expressed doubt. The pyramid had already proved its uniqueness with its magnitude.

"The inside is bigger," Zakiya explained with incomprehensible words.

"The inside is bigger…?"

"Let's go in. You will understand what I mean. Please, come this way." Zakiya took the lead. She shook the bundle of bells in her hand.

A deep ringing resounded in the air, and the center stone of the pyramid disappeared. From there, a corridor full of darkness appeared. On either side of the entrance was a statue of a human with the head of a dog, and on the inner wall were murals. From somewhere in the distance, the sound of lira was heard, and the smell of spices was mixed in the air.

Sungjin's party nervously went inside. Soon after, the darkness lifted and the space inside could be seen. Dozens and hundreds or more stairs were entangled and stretched three-dimensionally. Grains of light wandered through the gaps in the stairs.

Which stairway leads to where? The interior was complicated and dazzling enough to confuse the brightest of minds.

"Everyone walk carefully. You'll be lost if you take one wrong step. Please step where I step. "

"Okay." Upon saying that, Sungjin stepped forward, and the surroundings spun around.

"Be careful!" Zakiya caught his arm.

In a blink of an eye, the two were in a completely separate space. It was a small room filled with an incense that attacked his nerves. Decadent and irritating scents secretly touched his nerves.

"Are you okay?" Zakiya leaned over by her hips and asked him if he was all right, looking down on him. Her abundant chest filled Sungjin's sight.

"The others?"

"I do not know. Maybe they're in that place."

"Are we apart from the others?"

"Yes. I hurriedly followed Your Majesty's fall to accompany you."

"This is problematic."

"It's not problematic. It's a moment I've been waiting for. " Zakiya smiled strangely, like a spider poking its sting into its prey.

"What?"

"Wandering Desert." Zakiya's skill of paralyzing the opponent's movements activated.

Sungjin had no way to respond to the surprise attack. "Kuk." His body stiffened. A normal hero would have resisted to some extent, but at level 0, he couldn't do anything in a battle of pure strength.

"Huhu. No matter how good your brain is, your resistance is level 0. It seems you cannot fight off a skill." Zakiya raised her hand and touched his chest. The dense and thick caress stimulated his nerves. The touch was dangerous and fascinating, just like a spider trying to keep its food at its best before it was eaten.

"Are you saying I'm trapped?"

"That's it, huhu." Her long fingers tapped against his body in a rhythm.

"The reason being?"

"My brother is held hostage."

Sungjin's face turned hard.

"Didn't you say your family is dead?"

"I thought so too, but Kapitle had secretly kept my brother alive. "Her nails lightly scratched at the nape of Sungjin's neck. Dangerous yet exhilarating sensations spread through him. "And he asked me to assassinate you after luring you into this pyramid. Then he will guarantee my future life with my brother."

"So are you on his side again?"

Zakiya sighed deeply. "No."

Chapter 10

"Didn't you say your brother was taken hostage?"

"Yes, but I already know there is no way to save my brother." She dropped her head. The dangerous dancer disappeared, and in her place stood a sad older sister. "I know how Kapitle works because I've been watching him by his side for years. Even if I did as he asked, there is no way he would allow a traitor to live. He'll probably kill me and my brother, who he's done using."

Sungjin was soft. He was bound by ideals and bound by promises. Kapitle, on the other hand, was different. He was thoroughly driven by profit, and he discarded those who had fulfilled their value. His coldness was his strength, but that was why Zakiya, who had watched him for a long time, knew it was useless to follow his orders. Yes. Perhaps that is why you are stronger than Kapitle.

It is told that coldness is strength and affection is weakness, but, in return, Kapitle had lost trust. Huhu. To think of this now. Perhaps that was why she made the decision.

"The Golden Wise King said that my parents' accident really happened and that he wished for my brother and I to live happily, but that's a lie." Others might have believed the lie in desperation, but as a spy she had seen through him too well. "If he really wished that, he wouldn't have made those intimidating threats for me to kill you here for my happiness." Human beings do not demand dangerous things from loved ones.

"By listening to him, my brother and I would only become more miserable." Her brother, who was trapped alive in a crystal tube, had been trampled on for years. The truth was that Kapitle had imprisoned her brother for the sake of controlling her after she had "sincerely" turned to Sungjin's side so she could betray him. "I will not be controlled by him any longer. Since my brother and I don't have much time left to live, I need my revenge."