The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game

Translator: Dreamscribe

4th place!

Not 10th, but 4th.

It was a staggering promotion!

The Larva had been 19th, the very bottom of the ranks, and it had leapt up fifteen rungs in a single bound. Its arrival in Arsilan had been nothing more than a band of low-ranking entities wandering around in search of prey.

The Higher Entities who hadn't been admitted to any faction had invaded Arsilan together.

The Erosion he'd named the Lord of Greed had tried to ascend and become a god for one reason: to climb to Lord-class in a single stroke. Had it fully absorbed Ella and Arsilan, it might not have reached Lord-class, but it would almost certainly have secured a high-ranking spot within a faction. That was how appetizing a dimension Arsilan was.

He'd expected the other entities to object, but every one of them bowed their heads in acceptance. The power and majesty of a being called a Lord was such that even Higher Entities couldn't utter a single word.

The Lord of Fear extended her hand.

An enormous concentration of Authority gathered, and a sword formed of Erosion materialized. It was colossal, as if shaved from dozens of planets. She held it out to Jinwoo.

On the blade, the word '4' was inscribed in the language of Erosion, and within it was embedded the symbol of 'Sword and Absorption'.

"This is a token that bears your symbol."

"I shall serve with utmost loyalty."

Jinwoo accepted it with every gesture of reverence he could muster, and the Lord of Fear looked thoroughly pleased by his bearing.

Jinwoo immediately analyzed the sword.

[Transcendent-grade] Erosion Sword

'Only after compressing countless stars could it hold the Authority of Fear.'

A sword bestowed only upon the most faithful retainers.

Completed with Authority infused directly by the Lord of Fear. It possesses a powerful force that amplifies Authority.

It was a transcendent sword, beyond any rank system.

It was every bit as formidable as the Holy Sword Jinwoo possessed.

Effectively, she had granted him an Authority of the caliber that a Higher Entity might wield.

Using this Erosion Sword, he could amplify the power of his Authority by roughly twofold. Other Erosion beings wouldn't be able to draw out that level of performance, but Jinwoo was different.

Like a lord bestowing a fief upon a vassal, the Lord of Fear also granted him a Domain.

'She may be Erosion, but…'

The Lord of Fear was surprisingly serviceable.

Not a bad boss. Her abilities were sharp enough to see through Jinwoo's Authority. But his disguise was flawless, so there was no risk of being exposed.

The Lord of Fear settled back onto her throne.

It was a throne assembled from pieces torn out of countless dimensional realms. The Lord of Fear was a concept transcending everything, so much so that 'size' itself lost meaning.

Watching a divine being like that preside over a council meeting was rather fresh. The exchanges were beyond what any ordinary Hero could follow, closer to a transcendent trading of wills than conversation, but to Jinwoo it felt perfectly ordinary.

Had he not become a god, even keeping up would have been a struggle.

'Interesting.'

Just by dipping his will in ever so slightly, their grand purpose came flooding in as information. What Erosion as a whole sought was, like the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, complete unification.

If the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's goal was to fuse all dimensions into one, Erosion's goal was to devour every dimension and turn them all into melted-down space like this.

'Once only a single type of entity remains, the power of the Dimensional Realm condenses in one place.'

The force sustaining this vast Dimensional Realm would converge to a single point. And when it did, something staggering would surely occur.

Erosion was always hungry.

They had to keep eating to maintain their existence, and to climb higher. Higher Entities could endure long stretches without feeding, but Lesser Entities had to eat constantly.

Just as they had devoured Arsilan.

That was why they were called Dimensional Predators.

Once the dimensions were unified, that hunger would vanish.

'An infinite world teeming with food, hmm…'

That was what the dimensional war was being fought for.

The combined force of all dimensions gathered in one place was said to work that kind of absurd miracle. It was a legend, and a truth, passed down since time immemorial.

Seeing divine beings yearning for such a pipe dream struck him as almost comical. To Erosion, dimensions were prey, and their only rival was the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

"Speak of the cause of the failure."

"The wretched mortals have installed new equipment. It interferes with the very cohesion of our bodies and is rapidly weakening our concepts."

The border between the Kalsus Dimensional Empire and Erosion.

Erosion had sent a Higher Entity to cross that border, but apparently the attempt had failed. Jinwoo had heard of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire's new weapon before. It was an anti-Erosion armament designed solely to repel Erosion.

Higher Entities were not fuel-efficient.

Once they crossed into another dimension, they had to materialize in a form suited to that dimension, which burned through a considerable amount of Authority. So they had to feast to their fill and stay a while. If they couldn't secure enough prey, their Authority could be exhausted and their rank could drop.

That was why Lord-class entities couldn't move easily.

There was a reason the Higher Entities who had come to Arsilan as an expedition had refused to give up on Arsilan so readily. It was also the reason no negotiation had been possible.

Learning the 'weakness' that Erosion would never have revealed even on pain of death left him feeling thoroughly refreshed.

"And the Servants?"

"They can still endure for now, but if this famine drags on, a great many Servants will be demoted to mortals and perish."

Servant was another word for Lesser Entity.

Servants were also vital to maintaining Erosion's forces.

They were treated better than slaves, more like laborers. Erosion that didn't belong to any faction would drag their Servants along as they wandered up to the Wall of the Abyss in search of prey. But the Kalsus Dimensional Empire annihilated dimensions the moment they were discovered, so hunger only deepened.

'So far, the Kalsus Dimensional Empire has the upper hand.'

Their blockade strategy, exploiting that 'weakness', had been working extraordinarily well up to this point. They were winning without fighting.

It was befitting the mightiest force in the Dimensional Realm. On top of that, they'd recently invented Erosion-capture devices as well.

'Perfect conditions to stir up chaos.'

It was a golden opportunity to deal a serious blow to the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

If he could open a floodgate through which Erosion could invade, something interesting was bound to happen. What if he set the stage for Erosion and the Kalsus Dimensional Empire to go at it in earnest?

In the meantime, he'd rake in the profits, earn their trust, and pick them off one by one.

Not a single one of them was willing to step forward.

They were reluctant to burn their Authority and weaken themselves. In particular, the ones who bore single-digit numbers kept their silence.

The Lord of Fear clearly wasn't pleased with her subordinates' passive attitude, and she made no effort to hide her anger.

Space froze, and even time halted.

Every Erosion in the vicinity bowed their heads deeply, waiting for the fury to pass.

Only Jinwoo remained standing.

Timing was everything in moments like these.

Stepping forward too early would rob the scene of its dramatic punch.

"……"

At last, the Lord of Fear let her anger subside and settled into resignation.

Now was the perfect moment!

Jinwoo strode one step forward and stood boldly before her.

"I shall go."

"You?"

Jinwoo knelt and bowed his head toward her.

"A retainer who cannot so much as resolve his sovereign's worries has no reason to exist. I shall stake everything I have to fulfill my sovereign's wish."

When Jinwoo spoke with resolute will, the Lord of Fear trembled faintly, apparently moved. The emotion woven into Jinwoo's will was pure fabrication, but because he'd dressed it up as genuine, it was far more effective than the real thing.

Back in his corporate days, Jinwoo had handled office life well enough. He'd done his share of flattery, and he knew how to read the room and play along. It was the kind of thing any working adult in Korea could do.

"What is it you desire? Speak."

"I wish only that my sovereign should fulfill her grand ambition."

Flinch!

The Lord of Fear was clearly startled by his words and trembled even more violently this time. Her colossal body, and the very concept that constituted it, shook profoundly.

"Hahahaha!"

She laughed!

Her joy was so great that it rippled through the surrounding dimensions.

The exhilaration of pent-up frustration dispersing in a single instant!

Jinwoo had gifted the Lord of Fear exactly that kind of electrifying emotion.

"I shall lend you every support within my power. Go, my sword!"

"I accept your command."

The Lord of Fear reached out her own hand and helped Jinwoo to his feet.

"If you succeed, I shall use you more dearly than any other."

"Your servant does only what is his duty."

"Such dependable spirit!"

The Lord of Fear watched Jinwoo vanish to carry out her order with eyes brimming with affection, then shifted her gaze to her other subordinates.

"Pathetic. Shameful."

Flinch!

Under that ice-cold gaze, everyone could only bow their heads even lower. They were all desperately hoping for Jinwoo to fail. Reading even those intentions, the Lord of Fear could only grow more disappointed.

Jinwoo descended to where the Servants were gathered.

On an immense expanse of land, the Servants had assembled. A fair number were said to be deserting because they could no longer bear the hunger. Most of them failed to cross the Wall of the Abyss and disappeared into the Bubble Dimensions.

The Servants dropped to their knees and bowed their heads.

The bird had come along with Jinwoo.

"Is it truly necessary to go that far? The mortals will vanish on their own given enough time, and we need only wait quietly. Of course, some Servants will be lost, but isn't that simply unavoidable?"

Hearing the bird's words, the Servants only sank further into themselves, their wills crushed.

"I want to feed every one of you a steaming bowl of meat soup…, no, a hearty meal of prey."

Jinwoo looked out over the Servants.

"Raise your heads and look around you! What do you see? Pitiful beings huddled wretchedly in the dirt? Worms who will be demoted to mortals by starvation? Pathetic losers?"

He was right.

That was all they were.

The Servants shrank down even smaller.

Jinwoo shook his head.

"You are all mistaken. What I see are only great beings."

Great beings?

At Jinwoo's words, the Servants could only be stunned.

The very 4th place had said such a thing to them. They felt nothing but genuine sincerity in his voice, not a trace of falsehood. The fabricated sincerity Jinwoo had crafted wrapped itself around the Servants' souls.

"Listen well! You are not losers. Your time has merely not yet come."

Jinwoo clenched his fist tight.

"Rise! Warriors! You are fit to become the masters of the Dimensional Realm! You are more than qualified to ascend to godhood and claim the endless prey that flows without limit!"

The Servants trembled and raised their heads to look upon Jinwoo. He drew the Erosion Sword and let the aura of Erosion pour forth.

"I swear before this blade! I will make you fat! I will feed every last one of you until your bellies are full! The whole of the Dimensional Realm will come to fear you!"

The Servants crowded toward Jinwoo as if enchanted.

His call was so compelling that even Servants belonging to other factions flocked over.

"Rally! For the Lord of Fear!"

The Servants could not contain the fierce emotions surging through their bodies and minds, feelings they'd never known before. Something boiled up within their chests.

They'd had a sense of kinship, yes, but nothing close to that intense a bond. Yet the moment Jinwoo laid bare his will like this, something connected between them.

"For the Lord of Fear!"

"I'll go too!"

"S-something's b-boiling up! This…, this, what on earth is this!"

In leading Arsilan Saga up to this point, Jinwoo had made plenty of speeches and done plenty of rabble-rousing. Plucking their heartstrings and pumping them full of hype was child's play.

He saw the Lord of Fear spring up from her throne and tremble violently once again.

Swoosh!

Jinwoo extended the Erosion Sword, and the Servants surged toward it. Hundreds of Servants poured into the Erosion Sword. The blade had become their conduit of transit.

Even the bird at Jinwoo's side seemed moved, staring at him dumbly.

'Plenty of delicious-looking ones here.'

He'd pick them off one by one on the sly.

The borderline cases he could just kidnap for Content.

Slash!

Jinwoo swept the Erosion Sword through the air and tore open a rift between dimensions. Thanks to the massive device installed by the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, the rift was funneled into a specific location. That was the enormous barrier protecting the outer territory of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

The moment he passed through the rift into Kalsus Dimensional Empire territory, a massive wave crashed into him. A wave designed to disrupt the formation of physical bodies and scatter them apart.

It had no real effect on Jinwoo. His body had been built in a fundamentally different way from Erosion.

But for something like this, presentation was what mattered.

From within the Erosion Sword, countless Servants were watching.

KRRRRRRCH!

His body was being shaved away.

His wings were torn off, dissipating as if he couldn't properly maintain his physical form. He could feel the Servants' hearts sinking.

Jinwoo pretended to retreat back into the rift, then planted his feet.

"I promised you!"

He stood his ground!

The great 4th is withstanding the wave created by those paltry mortals!

"And I shall keep that promise, without fail!"

KRAAKOOM!

The wave intensified, but Jinwoo strode forward with broad, unhurried steps. He must have been feeling unimaginable hunger, yet he pressed on solely for the sake of his vow.

"Aaah! O 4th!"

"For our sake…"

"Ooooh! He's enduring it!"

Romance!

Jinwoo had just introduced the Servants to romance!

When Jinwoo raised the Erosion Sword, Erosion burst forth and the devices emitting the wave vanished.

He'd stashed them in his Subspace because they looked useful, but to the Servants' eyes, it appeared he'd obliterated them. The Kalsus forces here would see it the same way.

RRRRUMBLE!

Jinwoo's body re-formed.

Merely by moving, he set the air ablaze, scattering flames in his wake.

The territory of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire.

This place looked so astonishingly abundant.

The sky was clear, the land brimming with life. From the massive devices arrayed around the area, waves poured out ceaselessly, distorting space itself. But thanks to the several devices already gone, the balance had collapsed. Jinwoo proceeded to eliminate the devices one after another.

He could feel the commotion breaking out on the Kalsus side.

Countless warships hurriedly fired beams, trying to disintegrate Jinwoo's body, but naturally they had no effect.

'These warships are pretty stylish. I'll use these for an event.'

Swoosh!

An ornate warship vanished whole.

Jinwoo gazed down at the land.

This was an extremely important region, even within the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. It was the territory guarded by the Margrave who served as one of the empire's pillars.

'Excellent.'

Jinwoo could only smile with genuine delight.

Countless morsels, countless Content, lay before him in abundance.

Jinwoo drove the sword into the earth. The instant the blade touched the ground, the surface peeled away and everything around was reduced to ruin.

[Erosion] Now! It's time for heroes and champions!

Trample everything and devour it all!

And bring me the rarest things you can find to offer up! I shall give you a reward that will satisfy you.

Conditions: Servants belonging to the Lord of Fear

Time limit: Unlimited

Reward: ???

Jinwoo had just introduced the Servants to a thoroughly enjoyable 'game'.

"This is…!"

"The 4th has set our objective!"

"Let's go!"

"I'll be the one to offer up the rarest prize!"

"Devour it all!"

The Servants began pouring out of the Erosion Sword.

Wasn't this true, responsibility-free pleasure?

*****

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