"You're still disgustingly cunning. While your children are dying, you run away. And still."
Renya leaned down.
"Disgustingly weak."
"How dare you, an unevolved goblin!!"
Asha pulled up her power.
I am the queen of the great race, the Rakshasa.
I am not someone whose neck should be trampled by some goblin like that.
I need to escape this humiliation right now.
But whether she knew this urgency or not.
*Kuguguk.*
Renya's foot did not budge.
Not only did it not budge — it didn't even twitch.
Asha's eyes shook wide as she realized something.
The weight was increasing.
Gradually, matching the power Asha was pulling up.
"Tch!"
Renya let out a sneer and shook her head.
"Did you really think I couldn't crush your neck because I lacked strength?"
She leaned down further, bringing her face close to Asha's.
Asha gasped when she met Renya's eyes.
She had no choice.
Because until now, Asha had desperately tried to avoid Renya.
A tremor ran through Asha's body.
'Why is this...!'
It was utterly humiliating.
She wanted to stop it immediately, but it was impossible.
Her instinct had already recognized the goblin before her as a predator.
"You... what are you...!"
Her face twisted as she put strength into her neck.
Her voice wouldn't come out from fear, but she forced it out anyway.
"What makes you so great! What makes you and me so different!! While you were stuck in that mountain, I kept moving forward!! Why!!"
Asha screamed, filled with anguish.
Separate from the fear consuming her body, she truly couldn't understand.
Asha had sealed the goblin.
She had clearly won that long battle.
So why was this happening?
Why was she being trampled by a goblin she had once defeated?
She couldn't figure out how things had to go for this situation to unfold.
"...Ha."
Renya looked down at Asha with a dumbfounded expression.
It was a little anticlimactic.
She knew Asha was pathetic, but she didn't expect this level.
Given how deep their grudge ran, she wanted to let her savor this despair a little longer.
But the queen was so terrible that even that feeling didn't arise.
After a moment of silence, Renya spoke.
"I'm not great. And I'm not the one who made this moment happen."
"Then what...?"
"Just."
Renya straightened up and curled her lips.
"I just met a good master."
"That's..."
Asha tried to say something more, but failed.
Because the Steel Goblin Renya had decided.
The meaningless conversation ends here.
*Uduk!!*
A cracking sound rang out.
And with that, it was over.
The vicious cycle of a grudge that had stretched across a long, long time.
* * *
"Kreuk...!"
The Rakshasa collapsed with its abdomen split open.
Jinhyuk swung the Soul Reaper to flick off the blood.
*Ting!*
[Soul Reaper's level increases! Current Level: 14]
[Soul Reaper's attack power increases! Current Attack Power: 740]
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue.
Since the Rakshasa was loaded with souls, he thought it would go up to at least level 50. Not even close.
The Soul Reaper's picky eating that started after its first unlock.
The number of souls harvested gradually decreased, and toward the end, it even showed zero.
Even when harvesting succeeded, the experience gain was almost nothing compared to before the unlock.
'I need to feed it something new and tasty.'
He felt sure of one thing.
The Soul Reaper, Catiel, was both a glutton and a gourmet.
So picky!
He clicked his tongue.
Our cute little Momo and Kancho would be happy eating chicken for a whole month!
Sure, they switch between seasoned, fried, garlic, cheese mayo, and so on, but still.
He put away the Soul Reaper and surveyed the island.
Zero Rakshasa standing.
The battle was over.
"We're totally broke!"
Momo was running around busily, then tossing aside a Rakshasa's head.
There was nothing worth harvesting, so she seemed annoyed.
"Hmm! This is useless? It's just a rag."
Elia was equally disappointed.
She shook a headless Rakshasa body back and forth, then threw it away with a flick.
*Gulp!*
The embodiment of greed and the embodiment of curiosity.
Those two didn't seem to have the concept of disgust.
"Commander! Big problem!"
"What's wrong?"
"Rakku? Rakke? Their king escaped!"
"It's fine. Renya went after her."
He hadn't taken his eyes off Asha for even a single moment.
Of course, he saw her trying to slip away midway.
So he called Renya and sent her to chase.
So that Renya could personally end this tiresome grudge.
"What if she escapes the island to avoid Renya!"
"That won't happen. She's probably already caught her. But if by some chance she did escape..."
He clenched his fist.
"Then we go after her. With everything we've got!"
"Everything we've got!!"
Elia, Kamela, and Seira swallowed dryly.
It was a sight that could easily be called fanatical.
Even though they were on the same side, it was a little scary.
Just as the Jin-Kan-Mo trio started their prayer.
*Ting!*
A loud sound rang out, and a red message appeared before their eyes.
"Here it coooomes!!"
"Now! Jackpot!"
"Momo will grab the jackpot by the hair!!"
The same words and colors as last time.
The one they'd been waiting for.
[The Rakshasa Queen Asha has died!]
[Failed to generate the unique floor, Rakshasa's Fortress!]
[All scheduled tower events are invalidated!]
[Countdown has been stopped!]
"Yessssss!"
He threw an uppercut into the air.
Just as expected.
With Asha, the target of the deal, dead, the unique floor generation was canceled.
"Jackpot!!"
"We're rich!"
Kancho and Momo kept throwing their Doraemon fists and furball fists nonstop.
Jinhyuk pulled the two little ones into a tight hug.
The path to gold was beginning to appear.
* * *
Incheon Port Cruise Terminal.
*Wooooooooong---!!!*
The Chinese Player Hunter Administration's Jinrangho sounded its departure horn.
Standing on the deck, blowing cigarette smoke, was Lang Feng, the Director of External Cooperation.
Lang Feng's lips curled up in a long smile.
Currently, every floor of the Jinrangho was packed to the brim, with no room to step.
With the consumable items purchased from the Korean Player Hunter Administration.
"A small nation is ultimately just a small nation."
Lang Feng shook his head.
The unique floor, Rakshasa's Fortress.
There couldn't be a better opportunity to showcase national power.
But Korea didn't seize the opportunity — they gave up faster than anyone.
"When a nation's status rises, money naturally follows. No matter how much they develop, they still have a long way to go. A small nation indeed."
Still, he found it commendable.
He thought they had become America's dog, but instead, they contacted him first.
He decided to repay this act of loyalty during the next diplomatic negotiation.
Throwing them a bone would be enough to save face, and they'd be satisfied.
"Congratulations, Director."
The team leaders of the External Cooperation Department approached.
"China is probably the only one. The only nation that secured such a massive quantity. All thanks to you, Director."
"No."
Lang Feng shook his head.
"You and I achieved this together. Isn't that right? Kekekekekeke!"
"Hahahahaha!!"
Smiles bloomed on everyone's faces.
They had no choice.
They would receive praise for their tremendous achievement the moment they returned.
Promotion was guaranteed, and their standing within the Hunter Administration was as good as secured.
"Director. At least until we arrive, I'll call you Commissioner. Isn't today as good as making you the next Player Hunter Administration Commissioner?"
"Oh, come now. The closer the rice is to being cooked, the more careful you must be."
Lang Feng looked around and lowered his voice.
"Shouldn't titles like that be accompanied by good liquor? Kekekeke!"
"Hahahaha!!"
Just as another round of laughter was blooming.
*Ting!*
An unexpected notification sound rang out.
"Hm? What's this...!!!!"
All traces of laughter vanished from everyone's faces.
The blood drained from them too.
Because the message before their eyes made it perfectly clear.
The fall from heaven to hell.
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T/N:
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