Chapter 132: My party is so strained that I’m not sure if it’s going to work out.
ㅤ”Why am I being forced to repeatedly do content like the hardest raid in an MMO just to become a Demon King I don’t even want to be…??”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Get a hold of yourself, Minato. What you’re saying is becoming increasingly incomprehensible.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Because I’m on a stable one hundred-game losing streak!? I haven’t won once since the first victory! How many times do I have to say I like nul-games?!”
ㅤ
ㅤIf I had a controller, I’d throw it.
ㅤ
ㅤ”D*mn it, is there really such a difference in ability…? It’s not just Togo, Endo and Minazuki too, their repertoire is bottomless… I can’t let my guard down for even a moment, no matter who I’m facing. If I let my guard down, I d*e, and even if I don’t, I’ll d*e eventually.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Are you kidding me!? There’s no way we can win against these monsters, no matter how many times we try! And haven’t they gotten even stronger!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ『The Elminarsh・ System is analyzing your combat actions and feeding them back into the emulator. This means the emulated Grandmasters are learning about you.
ㅤNow, let’s begin the next set.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”No waaaaay!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why me, why me…”
ㅤ
ㅤThere was no way we could win in this mental state, and we were wiped out in less than ten seconds.
ㅤ
ㅤ『…Hmm. This won’t do. I’ll give you one full day of your subjective time. I’ll also open the transfer formation to the first layer, so if you need to build up your strength, feel free to use it. If you go to the first layer, you can secure a week or even a month of subjective time if you declare your return beforehand.』
ㅤ
ㅤWhen Elminarsh announced the break, we collapsed as if our souls had been drained.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…D*mn it. The toughest part is that it hurts like h*ll every time I’m killed. Being killed once when I actually d*e is more than enough.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”After they k*ll us, they kick our corpses, burn them, tear them apart… Ugh, it’s so frustrating! Don’t they have any decency as warriors!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t think so. They’re the kind of people who kick corpses like it’s their natural right.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”And my role is just to be killed last!? Do you know how terrifying that is?!”
ㅤ
ㅤArsh is trembling with tears in his eyes.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Not only are they strong individually, but they also work well together. They seamlessly provide support and feints as if it’s second nature, without even making eye contact.”
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ㅤ”On the other hand, we’re just a ragtag bunch. Even though we’re the Four Heavenly Demon Generals, it hasn’t been that long since we gained physical bodies, so our bodies can’t keep up with their movements.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Moreover, our strategies are learned and sealed. They launch pinpointed attacks the moment we try to unleash our Demon Lances. Thanks to that, we don’t even have a chance to create our spears.”
ㅤ
ㅤWe grumbled and sighed in unison.
ㅤ
ㅤ（It’s like we’re leading two mid-bosses who don’t get along and fighting a hero party after they’ve defeated the final boss, right?）
ㅤ
ㅤThere’s no way we can win.
ㅤThey are the legendary heroes who even defeated the ancient Demon King.
ㅤ
ㅤI mutter.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I want the Demon King’s power… I want it so badly I could taste it…”
ㅤ
ㅤIf Imusoda appeared in my dreams right now, I’d probably say yes immediately.
ㅤ
ㅤGrunblin stood up and said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Haa… But, there’s no point in just sitting here. Let’s try to work together somehow.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You mean some sloppy cooperation that will be easily seen through and used against us as a trap?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What other choice do we have?!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Admit it when you can’t do something! That’s my principle! To break through this situation, we need a new idea!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Where are we going to find something like that!? Are you saying you can come up with one, Boroneal?!”
ㅤ
ㅤI stare blankly at Grunblin and Boroneal, who have finally started a brawl.
ㅤWhat am I doing? Just spacing out…
ㅤ
ㅤ（Actually, Boroneal has a point.）
ㅤ
ㅤThere’s no way our makeshift cooperation can stand up to the three Grandmasters, who are like professionals at teamwork.
ㅤIf a professional soccer team played against track and field athletes who are only physically equal, they would definitely lose by a much larger margin than just the difference in stamina.
ㅤ
ㅤ”After all, what matters is power.”
ㅤ
ㅤI muttered.
ㅤ
ㅤ…I can’t help but feel like I said something dangerous.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m going to the first layer. I’ll spend about a week diving in and gain enough power to overwhelm them.
ㅤThat’s right! Level up and beat them with brute force – I should have gone back to basics!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, Minato, wait for me, I’m coming too!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, whatever, go ahead. I want to savor this brief moment of rest…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What are you saying, we need to think about cooperation! Cooperation that would even surprise them!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’ll be countered immediately anyway, right? I’ll just quietly wait for inspiration to strike.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Do as you please! I’ll think about cooperation even if I’m alone!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…No, but what’s the point of thinking about cooperation alone…?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”E-Everyone!? Please get a hold of yourselves! Come back to your senses! If we all work together, we can definitely-”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes, yes, that’s enough. I’ll take Arsh with me since it would be bad if Grunblin killed him.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, see ya.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmph, I never counted on the power of a mere gnat in the first place!”
ㅤ
ㅤLeaving the rickety party, Arsh and I board the transfer formation prepared by Elminarsh.
ㅤ
ㅤA moment later, I was in “H*ll.”
ㅤThe first layer of Purgatory, which I initially thought was truly hellish.
ㅤBut just by not being in that suffocating fixed party, the air feels so refreshing!
ㅤ
ㅤ”Leveling up! Fun, fun leveling up!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato, your personality has changed!”
ㅤ
ㅤI proceed to hunt the monsters in h*ll with extreme efficiency.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ah, this is so therapeutic.）
ㅤ
ㅤPaper-thin armor, no sign of teamwork, attacks as lukewarm as the sun on a mild spring day.
ㅤ
ㅤ”M-Minato! Wait for me!”
ㅤ
ㅤArsh’s voice brings me back to my senses.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Huh! I was in a trance!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You were hunting so many monsters in that state!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re back to using honorifics.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-Yes, that’s right.
ㅤNo, that’s not it!
ㅤAnd, um, well, not that, not that, yeah!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re getting all confused.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhile appearing relatively normal, it seems Arsh was also mentally affected.
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ㅤArsh placed a hand on his chest and said.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let me fight too!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, but Arsh, the Demon King’s power…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If what Elminarsh said is true, that power wasn’t mine in the first place.
ㅤBut more than that, I want to fight with my own power.
ㅤI don’t want to just stand behind everyone and watch them get defeated!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Arsh…”
ㅤ
ㅤThat’s right.
ㅤIt’s our logic to think that just watching is better than fighting.
ㅤArsh must be going through his own hardships.
ㅤHe was told he was the Demon King, but in reality, he was just a vessel for that power, something like an access key. And yet, because of the subsequent trials, the matter was left unresolved and muddled.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re right. Then, let’s start with something simple.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Okay! Please!”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd so, I decided to spend a week of subjective time training Arsh.