Chapter 509  

The Noble Crown Collector had to suppress his anger yet again. He had to put up with this humiliation until this constellation battle was over.

“I will... get to work...”

With those words, Tardus took action.

The monster, which had been fiercely grazing the ground with its teeth, met Tardus’ gaze and fell to its knees in a docile manner.

Tardus didn’t stop there. After inserting the soul stone into the monster’s head, he used his power of existence to fuse it.

...!

The Noble Crown Collector was surprised by the sight. Even though they were fellow constellations, he was baffled by the power of the Master of Slowness and Silence. How the hell...?

As the collector constellation stared in disbelief, the monsters quietly succumbed to Tardus one by one.

After Tardus’s work was completed, the monsters that had been viciously roaring turned into an obedient horde; they were a silent army devoid of any conflict.

Even though they were clearly on the same side, the Noble Crown Collector got a chill down his spine.

***

“Don’t fight!”

‘It’s a mess.’

Choi Yeonseung frowned at the monsters in front of the Great Forest of Illingars. It was great that various constellations had generously offered to help him, but controlling unintelligent monsters was quite difficult.

Illingars was also running back and forth to try to somehow control the monsters.

-Come here right now! If you don’t, I’ll destroy you!

Grrrung!

Kang kang kang!

No matter what threats Illingars shouted, the monsters didn’t listen to him. After all, they wouldn’t be unintelligent if such threats worked on them.

The metal cat, who used to work under the Explorer of the Stars and had recently become Choi Yeonseung’s household member, shook its head when it saw the mess.

[The metal cat says that even with the vision of the ‘Explorer of the Stars’, this chaos can’t be controlled.]

Choi Yeonseung’s household members were quite capable, even in the Abyss. But these monsters were so disorderly that even the household members were losing their patience.

-Shouldn’t you use your newfound power of silence to subdue them?

-That’s what I wanted to do at first.

Of course, Choi Yeonseung planned to use the power he had recently gained, but he quickly changed his mind when he remembered that his opponent was the Master of Slowness and Silence.

The slowness constellation could obviously use that power more effectively, given that it was his to begin with. If both sides were to collide with the same power, Choi Yeonseung would most likely be at a disadvantage.

-But that power is necessary for this type of constellation battle. You will be at a disadvantage if you don’t use that power.

-That’s also true.

Indeed, it was a tricky situation regardless of whether Choi Yeonseung used that power or not. He wondered if there was another way to subdue those monsters.

-How did you tame the rock snakes? -...Are you telling me to beat them up?

Choi Yeonseung was taken aback. Even if there was no other way, beating up the monsters didn’t seem like a good idea.

“Master, there is a cocky mortal who says he will meet you. Should I kill him?”

“...No. Don’t kill him.”

As the power of a constellation grew stronger, so did their territory and household members. Since Choi Yeonseung’s household members were competent, they helped him work and diligently managed his realm, but...

...There were times when their loyalty got a bit extreme.

‘He can say he wants to meet me. Why kill him?’ [Garhansha, the vampire king, bows before you.]

Surprisingly, it was Garhansha, the household member of the Noble Crown Collector, who had come to see Choi Yeonseung. This vampire king had somewhat of a connection with Choi Yeonseung and led a powerful vampire family.

Choi Yeonseung was surprised that this household member, who maintained his honorable loyalty despite being dissatisfied with his master, had come to visit him like this.

“Great Undefeated Incarnation of Training. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Yes. It is good to see you.

“?!??!”

Garhansha was taken aback by the other party’s words. He spoke too kindly to the household member of an enemy constellation. What was this?

Since you are here, tell me. Why did you come?

“Ah... Yes. Thank you for your mercy toward me. It’s nothing. Just...”

Garhansha nervously looked around. He thought it would be better if there was a household member whose face he knew.

Of course, there was no Choi Yeonseung among the mortals around him.

“...I’m here to tell you a secret of the Noble Crown Collector.”

“What a petty trick! Master, don’t be fooled! Why is the collector constellation’s household member coming now?”

“Chwiik! You think you can deceive us orcs?!”

The orcs furiously rose to their feet. This was obviously some kind of trick; why else would the household member of the enemy constellation come here just before the constellation battle?

“Us orcs won’t be fooled by such petty tricks. This is what the humans of Earth call a desperate last resort!”

“No...”

Garhansha was flustered, not because of the murderous aura of the orcs, but because they were too smart. How could orcs be this smart?

“I’m telling the truth. You have to trust me!”

Garhansha was serious. He had come here for a reasonable reason.

***

As Tardus’ work progressed, the realm of the Noble Crown Collector was filled with silence. He was ruthless not just with the monsters, but also with the household members. For Garhansha, who valued honor above all else, such treatment was difficult to endure.

-Master, the household member of the Master of Slowness and Silence has crossed the line. This isn’t an alliance. It is submission! Master, what is it that you regret that makes you bow down like this...?

Shut up! How dare you admonish your master?

The Noble Crown Collector wasn’t lenient toward household members who spoke improperly. Even though Garhansha had quite a few achievements under his belt, his audaciousness couldn’t be excused.

Get lost! Your achievements are the only reasons I’ll spare your life! Reflect on the tongue that dared to utter such brazen words to your master!

The Noble Crown Collector stripped Garhansha of his privileges and positions. But perhaps the harshest punishment was taking away the powers of Garhansha’s vampires.

Taking back the powers of minions was essentially telling them to go and die in some forgotten part of the Abyss.

“This is too much...!”

Tears welled up in Odaigon’s eyes as he listened. As the king of goblins, he could empathize with Garhansha’s plight.

Odaigon had met a wise master, but weren’t all kings in the Abyss born with this fate?

“Isn’t it a trick?”

“Chwiik, why are you trying to appeal to our emotions?”

“Orcs won’t be fooled!”

“...”

However, the orcs crossed their arms and booed coldly. Odaigon looked at them in a bewildered manner.

‘Do they not have a soul?’

“No, a king as honorable as Garhansha wouldn’t pretend to surrender...”

“Are you siding with him because you are both kings?”

“Has this orc gone crazy? How dare you be so cocky when you have learned everything from me?!”

“A disciple must surpass his master one day! I can’t stand still when my master is mistaken!”

The rest of the orcs cheered.

Odaigon’s head was throbbing as he realized that these orcs had become smarter and better at talking. Besides, their numbers weren’t small either...

I don’t think it’s a trick, Choi Yeonseung cut in. The orcs paused before shouting energetically, “In fact, we thought the same way!”

“Would the king of a family tell such a lie?”

“...”

Odaigon was dumbfounded. It seemed that the orcs had only learned bad things from humans.

***

Despite everything that had happened, Garhansha sighed with relief. The Undefeated Incarnation of Training accepted him and the vampires.

It was definitely fortunate that they received this kind of compassion despite their suspicious timing. However, Garhansha still wasn’t at ease. In the Abyss, struggle and competition were inevitable wherever one went. Mortals who didn’t prove themselves were eliminated, especially those who were under suspicion, like Garhansha!

“Goblin king. Right now, I have something to say to your master. In fact, there is a constellation currently helping the Noble Crown Collector...”

Odaigon replied knowingly, “Are you talking about the Master of Slowness and Silence?”

“...”

Garhansha was speechless.

...Huh?

“Did... Did you already know? Your master as well?”

“Yes, he already knows. He’s currently preparing for the constellation battle.”

Garhansha was even more flustered.

“The method used by the household member of the Master of Slowness and Silence...”

“Is he using the power of silence and the soul stones?”

“...”

All the intel Garhansha had prepared turned out to be useless. His eyes were twitching as though the ground was splitting beneath his feet.

“...Then what should I do?”

“There is something you can do, Vampire King.”

“!”

Garhansha’s eyes lit up at Odaigon’s words. This generous goblin king was trying to give him a chance!

“What is it?”

“The Black Vine vampire clan serves Master, but they are quite weak...”

“They need to be threatened! I will go right now!”

“No. Their farming is a bit slow. Can you go and help them with some magic?”

“...”

For a moment, Garhansha thought that Odaigon was just making fun of the new household member, but the seriousness in his gaze quickly dispelled that assumption.

“You’re not bad at farming, are you?”

“Wh... What nonsense! I am the king of vampires! I have the wisdom of my family!”

“Great!”

Odaigon patted Garhansha on the shoulder and walked away.

Left all by himself, Garhansha started to worry about this.

...Would he be kicked out if he failed at farming?

***

“Start...”

The army of monsters advanced the moment Tardus gave the order.

It was truly a spectacular sight—countless species of monsters moving together at the same pace.

Both sides had amassed an army of unintelligent monsters, so the one whose monsters were more orderly and disciplined would have the upper hand.

The Master of Slowness and Silence already knew that the Undefeated Incarnation of Training was cunning and adept at trickery. However, such a trivial ability was meaningless in the face of overwhelming power.

That was why Tardus had confidently prepared the army of monsters without paying much attention to the preparations of the Undefeated Incarnation of Training.

No matter what the enemy came up with, he would stand no chance against the power of Tardus’ master.

-■■■■■■!

-■■■■■■!

On the other side, monsters from the enemy constellation came into view.

Tardus stopped when he spotted a piogasaurus, a C+ monster, approaching with man-eating birds, C-grade monsters.

‘He’s also using Master’s power... Did he subdue them...?’

Both the piogasaurus and the man-eating birds were so incredibly aggressive that they would instantly attack other monsters and fight to the death. It didn’t make sense for them to move in such an orderly manner. Without a power like that of the Master of Slowness and Silence, it was absolutely impossible to have those monsters in the same army.

“!!”

Tardus’s eyes were twitching violently.

The enemy monsters howled fiercely and rushed forward. Monsters subdued by the power of the Master of Slowness and Silence couldn’t possibly exhibit such behavior.

‘Ridiculous... No...!’