The Monarch of Iron Body was just about ready to puke his guts out.
Even among Monarchs, their relationship wasn't exactly friendly.
The only reason they stood on the same side wasn't due to some deep bond, nor was it because the Monarch of Destruction, as the strongest, had united them.
It was because they shared a common enemy—the Fragments of Brilliant Light.
If it weren't for those damn Fragments, they'd have been at each other's throats ages ago.
Out of all the Monarchs, his top two least favorites were the Monarch of Frost and the Monarch of Plagues.
His reason for disliking the Monarch of Frost was simple: the guy's strength wasn't noticeably greater than anyone else's, and it wasn't like he could definitely beat the others.
Yet he always carried himself with that superior, calculating air. And in the end, didn't he still have to bow his head before the Monarch of Destruction?
Acting all high and mighty without the power to back it up—no wonder the Monarch of Iron Body looked down on him.
But why the Monarch of Plagues then?
No other reason. The bugs were just too damn disgusting. They completely clashed with his own style.
Disgusted, he shook the dust off his overcoat, then finally turned his gaze toward Castorice.
Though if he were to re-rank his hate list right now, the Monarch of Plagues would firmly take the top spot. Because his own life was likely about to be thrown away thanks to this idiot.
He'd known the Monarch of Plagues had run into a powerful enemy, but he never expected it to be this strong.
The problem was, he couldn't just not come.
Excluding the Monarch of Fangs and the Monarch of Frost—both gone silent—along with the Monarch of White Flames, who'd been enslaved by the Monarch of Shadows, and the Monarch of Beginnings, locked away somewhere by the Rulers, the only remaining active Monarchs he could rally were himself, the Monarch of Plagues, and the Monarch of Transfiguration.
Out of the nine great Monarchs, only three of them were still operational.
Upon learning this, the Monarch of Destruction, who hadn't yet entered Earth, naturally panicked.
And now, even the Monarch of Plagues was sending out distress signals.
The Monarch of Destruction knew that if he ignored this, forget about having the Monarchs hunt down and kill the Fragments of Brilliance—they'd likely be picked off one by one and wiped out completely.
Wiped out by an unknown entity, no less.
So he had no choice but to send the Monarch of Iron Body over to help and see what was going on.
And now look at this mess.
Staring at Castorice, whose gaze was fixed on him, radiating an aura of death and terrifying magic, and Cha Hae-in not far away, who was beating the Monarch of Plagues to a pulp without giving her a chance to fight back, the Monarch of Iron Body knew full well that coming here meant he probably wasn't leaving alive.
Escape through a gate? He'd likely expose an opening the moment he tried to open one, giving the enemy a perfect opportunity.
Besides, what made him think they couldn't use gates themselves?
At that thought, the Monarch of Iron Body gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. That Monarch of Plagues had really screwed him over.
Couldn't she have just died quietly on his own? Damn it, dragging me down with her even in death.
Still, the instinct to survive remained.
Seeing that Castorice didn't immediately attack, the Monarch of Iron Body wasn't foolish enough to strike first—that would just be asking to die faster.
He had his pride as a Monarch, of course. But just like the Monarch of Plagues, they could bow to the Monarch of Destruction, who was stronger than them.
So why not bow to another powerhouse who made victory seem equally hopeless?
It wasn't like she was a Fragment of Brilliant Light—no inherent hostility, no deep-seated grudge. If he could avoid a fight to the death, why wouldn't he?
"Might I ask who you are? Has Querehsha (the Monarch of Plagues) offended you in some way?"
The Monarch of Iron Body first offered a courteous bow before speaking.
Aside from his eccentric overcoat, his attire was neat and proper.
His hairstyle, though unusual, was meticulously groomed. He knew his preferences had been influenced by humans, but right now, that influence suited the situation perfectly.
The being before him didn't appear human, but since she took human form, adopting some human etiquette shouldn't be an issue.
Castorice hadn't attacked immediately not out of politeness, but because she was considering whether to give Sung Jinwoo an extra meal.
Though the other party was being respectful, she, aware of the irreconcilable conflict between humans and the Monarchs, had little desire for small talk.
After all, their sides were opposed. These Monarchs had to die—any who showed themselves before her would meet their end.
She wasn't worried that killing them all would leave this world without magical beasts or enemies, causing her approval rating to drop.
Even if they died here, they'd still become loyal residents on the other side, after all.
If the Rulers could create gates to level up Earth, couldn't she do the same?
Besides, once they became her residents, they'd continuously provide her with approval.
Living in the Underworld, how could they not know who its ruler was? (Sung Jinwoo: Isn't that me?)
So Castorice had never been in a hurry about approval.
This character card of hers, paired with a world that lacked an Underworld and thus needed her to complete it, was a match made in heaven for gaining approval—a win-win where both sides got what they needed.
Seeing Castorice remain silent, merely smiling, the Monarch of Iron Body's smile began to waver.
Still, he pressed on, "You are not a resident of this world, are you? Or perhaps you hold a special fondness for humans?"
"If you like them, you are welcome to take them as your followers. We can even help you become humanity's savior."
His voice was broadcast live across Korea. He used the world's most common language, so even if most Koreans didn't understand it, plenty of others would, translating it for them in real time.
[Are you sure that blondie said Castorice Hunter is 'not of this world,' and not 'not of this country'?]
[He's already talking about making us her followers and having her be our savior, and you're still clinging to hope?]
[So what's the deal with this Castorice anyway? She's really not human? She's a magical beast too?]
[I told you so! How could there be a 'power of death' that makes no sense? Turns out she wasn't human at all!]
Doubts and confusion flooded the forums. Go Gunhee had anticipated this.
The moment he learned Castorice wasn't human, he'd begun preparing for this backlash. At his nod, Woo Jinchul immediately mobilized the online supporters.
[Look, regardless of what Castorice Hunter is, isn't she clearly on humanity's side right now?]
[Let me ask you this: Has Castorice Hunter cleared gates? Has she dealt with monsters emerging from gates? Did she fight on the front lines at Jeju Island? Answer me! Huh? Did she fight at the forefront? You keyboard warriors who only know how to doubt—answer me! Look into my eyes! Tell me why! Why, baby, why?]
The supporters' pushback quickly quieted the rising doubts on the forum. Woo Jinchul let out a sigh of relief, then nodded to Go Gunhee. Both turned their attention back to the live stream.
In response to the Monarch of Iron Body's inquiry, Castorice's reply was simple.
"Pollux."
"ROAR!!!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.