6.
Wait, let's talk about the last [enemy] humanity fought in the Tower.
7.
This is a story from before I regressed.
Befitting the title Flame Emperor, Yoo Soo-ha was good at burning everything.
-Hahaha! Haha!
If being good at burning things was his ability, then being good at burning people was his evil doing, and finally, being good at burning the world was his cruelty.
And it was also everyone else's misfortune.
-This, being a god feels pretty good!
Possessing a prominent member of the elf race, he led the rest of the race. They burned whatever they stumbled upon. Burned the people they encountered on the street. They even burned the world around them.
Hellfire Army(業火軍).
That was what Yoo Soo-ha liked to call the elves that followed him. Anything that entered their field of view was burned, and they were like a wildfire that fell upon the continent.
-Burn it!
If Yoo Soo-ha ordered,
-In your name! In your name! In your name! (TL: Not exactly… but I can't think of a good English equivalent.)
The elves chanted.
The voices of the elves were ferocious and sharp. And wicked.
-In the name of the Supreme Being!!
Primitive worship.
-Fire God, we offer you this sacrifice! Please accept it!
Human sacrifice.
-Burn it!
-Cleanse the world!
-Only we are the chosen ones of the Fire God! The only ones that are worthy!
A spirit of elitism.
-The reason you are weak and hungry is because you are of lowly birth!
-How dare such low level scum step into the holy flames!
Contempt and discrimination.
-The reason they are so strong, that their level is so high, is because they stole it from us!
-Priest, no, former priest! Look! This is the proof that you are no longer favored by the Fire God!
Hatred and lust for power.
-Right, well done. This is what people live for.
-Love? Friendship? Commitment? Fuck that. Don't depend on that kind of fantasy. How can people love people?!
-Now, kids! You are the real humanity! Let's unify this entire continent just like this! Do you understand?!
The elves saluted.
-In your name! In your name! In your name!
Yoo Soo-ha set fire to the world.
And in order to guide the fire, he purchased the items [Person Possession] and [Spiritual Descent] whenever the right timing came.(*:Item descriptions below)
-Why are you doing a head aching task like farming? Are you pushovers?
-Farming isn't easy to do, either. To farm, you need to make farming equipment, in order to make farming equipment, you need to research farming equipment, in order to do research, you need researchers, in order to sponsor researchers, you need money, in order to raise money, you need a market, in order to have a market, you need a village, in order to have a village, you need a ruler. This ruler is responsible for getting the village, market, money, researchers, engineers, and farmers, and it's only after half a year or a year after that barely any grain can be obtained. Uh.(TL: My brain…)
Yoo Soo-ha snorted.
-You guys, are you pushovers?
The elves snarled.
-We are not pushovers!
-No! We are not pushovers!
-We are [The Blazing Cross] who strongly supports the oracle of the Fire God, not pushovers!
It was as if lava, not blood, flood through their bodies.
All of the elves' natural physical and intellectual abilities were poured into slaughter. Elves, who were born with the ability to sense aura, were powerful killing machines. Using their superior brains, these killing machines pondered the most efficient ways to dismember their enemies, and how to rise to higher positions.
Fanatics who worshiped a god called the Flame Emperor.
That was what the elves of this era were.
-Men. Only those carrying a head in each hand are not pushovers.
Standing on the platform, the Flame Emperor released aura from his right hand.
Crackle!
The snail head that was being held there was burned in an instant and the ashes scattered.
-There is no need to farm! If you are hungry, eat the grain harvested by others. Kill the centipede chicken* they carefully raised and throw a party!(*:Yes, '지네닭-centipede chicken')
-You don't even need a village. If you kill all the people who lived in a village, wouldn't it then become a luxury hotel just for you? You could leave a few villagers alive to tend to you, and stay in the hotel to rest for a week or two. Eat the food and meat that the villagers bring for you. Isn't that heaven? Huh?
-After two weeks, you can kill the villagers that brought food for you. Kill them all. How about it? Wouldn't that make you feel better? After taking a good rest for 15 days, you would no longer feel stressed and you would feel energized again, wouldn't you? That's it. Babies, that's it.
-Let's go find another hotel!
The elves roared.
-In your name! In your name! In your name!
-In the name of the Fire God!!
-In your name!
In the places where the Hellfire Army blazed, there was nothing left. The painstaking year long farming was burned down, and the cows that were carefully reared in the barns were burnt and roasted. Everything that the people who once lived there had built step by step while thinking about tomorrow, the next year, and the future, collapsed into ashes overnight.
All that was left was an unbearable reality. Every time they plundered a village, they would intentionally leave five or six people alive, but they always spared them only after breaking their hands, legs or spines. The surviving villagers could only look dumbfoundedly— at the past that had disappeared and the future that was broken, and the corpses that were piled up on the edge of the village. They say it all.
After the Hellfire Army left, ropes were silently hung on the trees that lined the road. The survivors hung themselves there.
The tyrant who burned the world, the Flame Emperor.
Yoo Soo-ha.
But when he passed through the 39th Floor, he encountered a crisis, and when he reached the 40th Floor, he faced an unprecedented danger.
In fact, the fact that there was a crisis in the first place was a mystery.
After all, the Hellfire Army had already exterminated many races a long time ago. They tore the snail race apart. Nailed the oni race, beheaded the human race, burned the mermaid race, and imprisoned the vampire race.(*:All of these end in 'to death'.)
Where, or who, would dare to put the Fire God in danger?
-Ugor.
There was only one race.
For thousands of years, during that long period when the continent fell into hell and suffered, they were the only children to escape [extinction].
-Well well well, if it isn't the crazy elf bastards.
The goblin race.
Their world was cruel. In the ever burning inferno, only the strong could survive. Fortunately, they had guts. They desperately persisted and sowed seeds, and among those seeds, some of them grew into warriors.
These were the enemies that Yoo Soo-ha faced on the 40th floor. The goblin race.
-What the hell, you guys. How did you survive the 38th Floor… no, even if I said that, NPCs wouldn't be able to understand. Uh. Right. How did you survive the Energy Dragon that Dwells in the Deep Sea or whatever it's called?
-We survived.
-It's amazing. Do you want to know how?
-The dozen or so of us knew how to use aura. This dozen or so clung to the Energy Dragon and absorbed as much aura as the time allowed.
-Hoh. In that case…
-That's right.
Thud.
Fourteen goblins took a step forward.
-We are the last of the goblin race in this world.
-…
-Not only did we survive despite all of our kin dying, but we also became much stronger than ever before.
Ha, Yoo Soo-ha let out a short laugh.
-A cannon fodder race with only 14 members left! I'm so speechless. Come, you beggar bastards. I'll comfortably take you guys to see your million compatriots today!
But.
On that day, Yoo Soo-ha's subjugation quest was not completed.
Instead, Yoo Soo-ha had no choice but to back down and admit that he was unprepared to deal with the [enemies this time].
Normally, he would have easily won if he brought out his Hellfire Army and let them rage against them.
But for some reason… on the 39th Floor, Yoo Soo-ha had completely lost the faith of the elves.
Not only did he lose it, but he also became the enemy of all elves.
-Dammit.
Yoo Soo-ha had no companions. There were rumors circulating about a romantic relationship with the Saintess, but after thinking about it, it was probably just gossip being spread by irresponsible media.
Even the elf race, who could be called his subordinates, had turned their backs on him.
The term 'completely alone', could be used for Yoo Soo-ha.
-You fight like a bunch of cowards. C'mon! Fuckers. I'll prepare and come back! Got it?!
[Withdraw from the 40th Floor stage.]
[Failed to complete the quest!]
[Please try again next time.]
And so, the Flame Emperor, who had been forcibly attacking the Tower anytime, and anywhere, stopped for a while.
It wasn't that he had been defeated by the boss on the 40th Floor. He just retreated. Therefore, few people mocked this as the Flame Emperor's [failure].
After all, the fact that from the 11th Floor to the 39th Floor, every stage had been cleared by the Flame Emperor, Yoo Soo-ha, had already created a legend of excellence.
-Breaking news.
Yoo Soo-ha wasn't the only one that failed on the 40th Floor.
-The Black Dragon Guild attacked the 40th Floor.
-Were they trying to show the skills of the best guild this time?
-Unfortunately, they came back empty-handed.
Although they were overshadowed by Yoo Soo-ha's reputation, she, who wielded the most power in the Tower, had set out this time to regain the honor of her guild. She took all the elites of the Black Dragon Guild and launched an attack.
[Withdraw from the 40th Floor stage.]
[Failed to complete the quest!]
[Please try again next time.]
She also failed.
They could only retreat after failing to defeat the '14 remaining members of the goblin race'.
The Black Dragon Master was able to kill 6 of the 14 enemies and wound 4 more. But that was the limit of the power the Black Dragon Master could squeeze out.
In the end.
-The 1st Ranked Hunter!
-The Flame Emperor single-handedly defeats a Boss once again!
The person who struck the final blow on the prey wounded by the Black Dragon Master was Yoo Soo-ha, who was only aiming for revenge.
Despite being made to retreat once, the Flame Emperor was the Flame Emperor. He was the undisputed number 1 Hunter in the rankings. 6 corpses, 4 wounded, and 4 warriors could not handle Yoo Soo-ha.
-Fuck!
-Freaking annoying, beggar bastards!
Pouring out curses, Yoo Soo-ha burned the heads of the goblins.
As a result, the last of the goblin race on this continent were slain, and another race perished.
-You…
A goblin opened his mouth. He was the last of the goblin race. His head was in Yoo Soo-ha's grasp, but he remained expressionless as his entire body burned.
-Will be cursed.
-Huh?
-You are no god, you are a devil. You pretended to be a god and caused the elves onto the path of the devil. You burned and destroyed the world. It is all your doing. If there is a god in this world, a god who is not a devil like you…
-What are you trying to say, you monster bastard?
-Vengeance will surely fall upon you.
Fwoosh.
The goblin's head was burned to the end of his brain. Only then did the goblin's words come to an end. Even though his throat had been scorched, his tongue burned to ashes, and his bones melted, the last goblin used his aura to leave a final word.
-Bastard.
Yoo Soo-ha brushed the ashes off both of his hands.
-Nobody can say anything about revenge. Kuk.
And just like that Yoo Soo-ha cleared the Tower's 40th Floor.
Media companies fought a war to obtain an interview with Yoo Soo-ha.
On the internet, the people were divided into those who praised Yoo Soo-ha, and those who mocked him, but either way, both sides proved that Yoo Soo-ha played a very important role in their lives.
The Hunters laughed at the incompetent Black Dragon Master, and a guy like me longed to be Yoo Soo-ha.
It was such an era.
Such a day.
-Talk? Ah, talk. Sure. It's the courteous thing to do.
-However, I'll decide the rules of the conversation.
That same night, the Saintess died.
-However, hyung knows that I am the Flame Emperor. You also saw me kill the Saintess.
-That's why you have to die.
An F ranked Hunter also died.
In other words.
The highest stage that humanity had conquered normally was the 40th Floor.
I had briefly gone up to the 50th Floor to meet the Constellation Killer, but that was just a trick using a bug. It wasn't officially recognized. So even before my regression and after my regression, the last stage humanity had stepped onto was the 40th Floor.
It was the beings on the 40th Floor that defeated the Flame Emperor once, and made the Black Dragon Master retreat once.
That was why I chose 'goblins' as my race despite the ridicule of my companions.
14 of them alone was enough to leave a deep impression in my mind.
[The Goblin Race is evolving!]
Now, those being were about to enter my sight.
8.
The change started with a smallish hobgoblin kid.
-Ugo?
The little goblin was sitting in lotus position with his mother on the left and his father on the right. Squirm, squirm. His little toes, befitting of his small size, twitched.
Rather than building up their own aura, the child's mother and father wanted to pass their aura to their young child. They were both warriors with seats on the Fire River Council, and the aura softening method that the two united to use was fairly outstanding.
This was why their child received the honor of evolving 'first'.
-Aya?
-This…
The little child's body began to shine.
At first, the mother and father were startled, but they soon realized that it wasn't just their child that experienced a change.
-Mm?
-Ugor?
Swoosh!
The goblins, who were sitting in lotus position atop the back of the Energy Dragon, those who used all manners of means to sit on its knees, and those who were too lazy to climb so they simply sat on its claws, all began to shine after a slight delay.
-Wh-, what is going on? Why is my body suddenly…
-Ominous! This is ominous, ugo!
Just as the goblins were hurriedly trying to get out of lotus position.
"Do not panic!"
A lion-like roar came from the head of the Energy Dragon.
[The Constellation 'The Musclehead Who Dreams of Sinning Against Heaven' reprimands his own kind.]
It was my splendid sinner against heaven.
Uburka was sitting on the giant monster's philtrum, right between its two nostrils. Every time the [Energy Dragon that Dwells in the Deep Sea] exhaled, Uburka's body moved up and down like he was on a pendulum ride. In terms of intensity, it was the most violent course, but Uburka looked as comfortable as if he was leaning back in an armchair.
"No matter what! Do not leave the lotus position! Continue to absorb aura!"
-Ho-, however…
"This is by no means an ominous sign. It is a phenomenon similar to what you call refinement and rebirth!"
The goblins' eyes rose sharply.
-Refinement and rebirth?
-Isn't that the stage that only ancestor Uburka was able to barely reach?
Uburka grinned, flashing his fangs.
"Ugor. It's only a little similar. I know because I've done it once. This is similar to refinement and rebirth, but different. First of all, every member of our race is shining."
-Then what should we do, ancestor?
"I don't know. However, digging a tunnel into the unknown has always been exciting!"
Fwoosh!
Uburka's body was also shining. Except, the flames were much fiercer than the other goblins.
"Comrades! Do not fear. Fire has always been on our side. Even when our ancestors were imprisoned in the dark cave, the fire burned for us. Even if it is the monster that created this continent, how can it put out our fire?!"
Red flames blazed around Uburka. However, much less the world, the flames didn't even burn Uburka's body, and only quietly wrapped around the Energy Dragon's head. Countless goblins looked admiringly at the position of Uburka, their ancestor.
"Just breathe! Accept the temperature of the world with your bodies! Concentrate! Recall how our ancestors swung their pickaxes to mine salt!"
-…
The panic subsided.
The goblins once again became immersed in the softness of aura.
"Everyone, unify the image!"
The Warrior Commander of my Family became the conductor of the orchestra, and led the flames of his clansmen.
"Whether it is refinement and rebirth or not, the next time we open our eyes, we will be different beings from before! But what's the point of the coming of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow if we forget yesterday? We would only be passing time, not living it. So remember. Do not forget the screams of our ancestors who died long ago! We must burn for an eternity to become [an existence that will never be forgotten]!"
The flames grew stronger and stronger.
From the Energy Dragon's shell, knees, toes, nose bridge, and philtrum, various flames soared. Hundreds of thousands of flares flickered with dozens of lights, but soon, the most intense color—the most distinct color— devoured everything.
Red.
Red flames ate the blue, jade green, yellow, black, and white. The Energy Dragon that Dwells in the Deep Sea was soon engulfed in blazing red flames. The monster's huge body burned like the wick of a giant candle.
[The Constellation 'The Musclehead Who Dreams of Sinning Against Heaven' engages the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art.]
Then.
[The Goblin Race engages the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art.]
Crumble-
The children's green skin, their shells, peeled off.
Tuk, tuk, the green skin fell, revealing bright red, like pieces of charcoal burnt by a fire.
[The Goblin Race is undergoing evolution!]
No.
Their skin was not peeled away because they were burned by aura.
[The status of the Goblin Race is changing!]
The children's skin was really red.
It was not the skin of a goblin which was the green of spring, nor the skin of the hobgoblins which was the fragrance of summer.
[The Goblin Race has entered the final evolution form, Asura!]
Several thousand years.
The goblin race, who had passed through the seasons until now had finally ripened red, and their blood and flesh changed.
"…"
In the dropout waiting room.
We watched dazedly as the children of the soil harvested the red autumn.
The goblins became a little bigger. Their fangs became sharper. Their eyes glowed red. The blazing image of aura merged into their bodies and burned fiercely. The red muscles on their forearms, back, abs, and thighs flexed as if they would burst at any moment.
"Ogre…?"
The Black Dragon Master muttered unintentionally.
"…no. I've never seen an ogre with red skin. They're not as big as ogres, and the purity of their aura is ridiculously high. Those guys…"
"Yes, it's not."
We couldn't take our eyes off of the holographic image.
"It's a position that only those kids could reach."
I whispered internally.
Looking at the majestic blood fire that those children were releasing.
'Open race status.'
Shruk.
A wall of text appeared in front of me.
+
[Asura(阿修羅)]
Extinction Grade: F (No Risk)
Proverb: 'We are fire.'
Political System: Fire River Council
Description: Goblin Race.
A race that was born in the soil, dug tunnels, loved swamps and covering their bodies with mud, knew the scent of the rain from the heavens as happiness, loved all shade and moisture, and endured for a long time before finally accepting the flames of this world into their hearts.
Ignition(開火).
They symbolize a fire that will never go out. As they ignite their auras, the flames split into six parts, and as they enter the battlefield, their arms will lash out violently as if they were wielding six blades.
They mourn the lives that were lost in the world. They transfer those lives that have already disappeared onto a dark, gloomy stage and act out the gestures and expressions of the dead. At any time, they can be others, they can be themselves, or they can be us. Therefore, people have likened them to having three faces.
According to the legend of Asura.
They love the waterways shed by humans, and take pride in the flames they have nurtured. Even in a world that has become hell, the Asuras will gallop freely.
If someone were to call the goblin race demons, it would only be because they are willing to stay in hell.
Their beloved father is still laughing in hell. Where else would they call their home?
Everyone, may good luck be with you.
Traits: [Fire River Council], [Fire Plays], [Demonic Cult], [Infernal Heavens Demonic Art], [Infernal Heavens Formation], [Bad Friend Doctrine], [Legacy of Records], [Competitive Nature], [Multiracial Culture], [Hegemon of the Continent*](*: This could also be 'loser of the continent', but I'm assuming the author means '패자-霸者-ruler/hegemon' and not '패자-敗者-loser/defeated one'.)
Evolutions: Final state.
Aliases: The Asura's will only be called by their own names.
+
I nodded.
"…that's right."
When all my companions in the dropout waiting room fell silent, only my voice flowed out gently.
It is said that, by nature, people cannot hear their own voices very well.
I'm not sure if it is because of that, although to my ears, it seemed like I was happy, it also seemed like I was suppressing some emotions that I couldn't say.
"Those are my children."
Nevertheless.
I said what I wanted to say, what I could say, what I should say.
"All of them… every single one, are the children I am proud of."
[Stage Clear.]
[The 38th Floor stage has been cleared.]
[You did not participate in this stage.]
[You will not receive a reward.]
Those.
Were very happy words.
(TL:Apologies for the delay… this chapter actually killed me. Word count: 3779(not counting my own comments))
[Person Possession]
Rank: A-
Effect: Possess the person of your choosing. The original owner of the possessed body will become a mental body that stays with you. When the person dies, or when you declare the end of your possession, the mental body will return to its original body!
Price: 2,000 race points
※However, the item can only be used if the person agrees to the possession.
[Spiritual Descent]
Rank: A
Effect: The Player themself obtains a body and descends.
Price: 10,000 race points
※However, the effect only lasts 5 minutes.