Selic, having returned to his own dimension, chuckled softly.
“Cowards! To waste such a golden opportunity.”
The one who exploded in fury was Gratis.
Thanks to that, and Gratis’s nature of wishing misfortune upon others, they were able to monopolize the task of hunting dimension Monsters.
“Dimension Monsters will just drop dead if hit by the Pajijik Cannon. Since they’re bulky, there’ll be plenty of meat to feast on. With that, we’ll increase the number of Gratis in my clan and swallow up other clans. Kyahahaha, ha!”
Betrayal and intrigue were as natural to Gratis as breathing.
In the middle of a table littered with rotten meat and Gratis-exclusive toys, a square panel gleamed.
It was a terminal capable of dimension communication.
As Selic manipulated the screen, the Demon of Chaos appeared.
“Count Senjo.”
-Selic. The Gate Stone?
“I stole it and hid it in a place only I know. I swapped it with a similar one, so those stupid Gratis will never figure it out. Kihihi.”
-If you hand it over to me, you’ll get everything promised.
“Of course! Of course! I’ll hand it over to you quietly, Count!”
-Don’t get any ideas if you don’t want to be killed by the Dark Elves.
“Of course! The Gate Stone will be delivered safely into your hands, Count.”
Count Senjo scoffed at the untrustworthy Gratis Selic before ending the communication.
“The Gate Stone is in a place only I know. If you want it, you better listen carefully to me. Kihihihi…”
Selic left the room, padding away on all fours.
At the harbor, his fifty Dimension Ships stood ready to sail.
Most were between 50 and 100 meters in size, each equipped with 10 to 20 Pajijik Cannons.
The flagship was much larger, at 200 meters, and carried large Gratis for assault.
“Set sail quickly! We’re going hunting!”
Selic shouted from the flagship, and his fleet departed the harbor.
“The prey comes running on its own.”
The Supreme General laughed as he observed everything through Kai.
Fifty Dimension Ships accounted for twenty-five percent of Gratis’s naval strength in the Ma Woo Sea.
If these were lost, when fighting Dark Elf pirates, they would have to abandon offense and focus solely on defense.
“Count Senjo, huh… Should I capture him and interrogate him about the Gate incident?”
The Supreme General was curious.
Why then? Why was he the only survivor?
After falling into the Gate, his memory abruptly cut off at some point, and he didn’t know how he escaped.
“Capture Selic alive, secure the Gate Stone, and lure Count Senjo here.”
He sent the Skyeye Giants in the direction Kai was sensing.
While Selic’s fleet approached, the Apocalids entered hibernation to conserve energy.
“The only advantages of the Gratis Dimension Ships are range and firepower. Once they get close, it won’t be easy.”
The Pajijik Cannon was a fine weapon, but the Gratis Dimension Ships’ armor, speed, and maneuverability were poor.
If the battle stayed within Mana Cannon range, defeat was unlikely.
“I still want to minimize losses… Is there a good place to fight?”
A frontal battle with Gratis wasn’t advisable.
Sneaking in for a surprise attack or striking from behind was best.
The Supreme General scattered Skyeye Giants in all directions, searching for a favorable battlefield.
In the telescopic view of the Skyeye Giants sent to the right, something interesting appeared.
“A mana storm. Its scale is huge, so it doesn’t look like it’ll dissipate anytime soon.”
In the Dimension War, mana storms were perfect terrain for hiding Apocalids.
“Let’s fight there.”
“Kuong.”
Kuong, who loved mana storms, was delighted.
The massive Apocalid wagged its tail and moved into the mana storm.
“You’ll lure Selic’s fleet.”
He sent out three Light Titans.
Just standing there, they looked like unusual dimension Monsters.
Not long after, Selic’s fleet was observed by the Skyeye Giants.
Selic’s fleet also spotted the Light Titans and accelerated.
Pazik! Pazik! Pazik!
Red flashes shot out in a straight line.
Though the distance was significant, a few shots struck the backs of the Light Titans.
The pride of Gratis—the Pajijik Cannon.
“How close do they have to be to pierce the Psionic Chitin Gauntlet?”
As Titan Class Apocalids with level 6 Chitin Gauntlets, they could endure quite a bit, even against Pajijik Cannons.
The Supreme General didn’t even know the exact strength of a level 6 Psionic Chitin Gauntlet.
“They must be tougher.”
The Light Titans fired a few Mana Cannons before turning and fleeing.
Their route was heading closer to the mana storm.
“Chase quickly! That’s all food!”
Even an aggressive-looking Apocalid was good food for the Gratis, who couldn’t refuse any prey.
Selic whipped his oarsmen.
The Gratis, with overly developed chest and arm muscles, rowed until their muscles tore.
“They’re close! Fire! I said fire!”
The artillery fired Pajijik Cannons.
One Light Titan took dozens of hits on its back.
Its armor cracked, exposing its insides.
The Pajijik Cannons recharged, and aiming was complete.
Just as the artillery was about to deliver a finishing blow, a thunderous explosion erupted.
“What’s going on?”
Selic rushed to the deck.
Shells were raining from above.
“There’s a mana storm up there.”
Selic looked up.
Inside the mana storm loomed a massive shadow.
Shells fell wherever the shadow flickered.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
The Dimension Ships were shattered.
Selic raged fiercely as ships, procured by whipping slaves and selling useless Gratis, were destroyed.
“Damn you! Don’t hide there! Come out and fight!”
At Selic’s shout, Apocalids burst out from the mana storm.
Titans, Light Titans, and Fighter Giants.
Faced with their size and numbers, Selic’s fury cooled.
“Surrender! Surrender now!”
The Supreme General was accustomed to the ever-shifting Gratis.
Even in the Dimension War, when outnumbered or at a disadvantage, they often fled.
“Don’t kill Selic. Capture him.”
“Krk.”
Lutal landed on Selic’s flagship.
“Eek!”
Selic, fur bristling, tried to flee in the opposite direction but was easily caught by Lutal’s middle leg.
“Save me! I’ll do anything if you spare me! Everything!”
Selic rubbed his palms anxiously.
“I have to negotiate again… I really need to get a telepathy evolution code.”
The Supreme General donned his Chitin Armor and opened a Gate.
“Aaahhh!”
Selic screamed and struggled at the Supreme General’s appearance.
Only after Lutal slammed him onto the ground did he calm enough to speak.
“Wh-Who are you? Some high-ranking demon?”
“Outer Mind. Not a demon.”
“You look exactly like—Hieek! Sorry!”
“How were you planning to trade the Gate Stone?”
“How could I…?”
“Answer me.”
“Do you know Count Zauber?”
Selic tried to probe the Supreme General by mentioning another name.
Bang!
Lutal threw Selic to the floor.
Bouncing like a ball, Selic limped over and prostrated himself.
“Sorry for prying… My life is on the line…”
“Lure Count Senjo here. Then I’ll let you go.”
The Supreme General threatened with unnerving calmness.
‘Outer Mind or not, this is nothing.’
Selic trembled with fear.
The atmosphere felt utterly unreal.
Even if he killed a hundred million Gratis, the Supreme General wouldn’t even blink.
‘I have to survive! I need to live to earn money, buy more Dimension Ships, have many children, and get revenge!’
With a groveling expression, Selic promised to lure Count Senjo.
“How?”
“He’ll come himself because he can’t trust his subordinates. That’s when we strike. Isn’t it simple since you have the Gate Stone?”
“Not bad. Where is the Gate Stone?”
“In a place only I know… Hieek!”
Lutal raised its sickle claw.
Startled, Selic rolled backward several times.
“If I die, no one will know where the Gate Stone is! It’ll just disappear!”
The Supreme General was confident he could find the Gate Stone even without Selic.
It was probably within the Ma Woo Sea, so if it didn’t appear after devouring all dimensions, a thorough search nearby would suffice.
Still, he needed Selic alive to lure Count Senjo, so he decided to keep him alive.
“You can tell me other things, right?”
“Yes! I can say anything!”
Selic readily spilled Gratis’s weaknesses.
The dispositions of clan leaders, secret harbors, troop numbers and composition.
He wished ruin on the other Gratis as well.
“Hehe. I’m quite useful, right?”
The Supreme General didn’t like how Selic immediately betrayed his own kind.
All Gratis were like that, but Selic seemed even more ruthless.
“Stay inside. Don’t come out until I call you.”
“Yes! Yes! I’ll obey!”
Selic was confined in his quarters aboard the flagship.
In the spacious 100-pyeong room, filled with slaves catering to his every sense, only silence remained.
“Damn it! Where the hell did that monster spawn from? Could it be the one that swallowed the Kraken Sea? I heard that one was in the Hydra Sea… But it’s not impossible for it to come here.”
Selic ran on his wheel.
While turning it, a good idea to turn crisis into opportunity came to mind.
Thirty minutes passed as the wheel spun.
“That’s it! I’ll lure the Dark Elves! When Senjo and that monster fight, the Dark Elves will ambush, and then I’ll attack them! Kihihihi!”
Selic thought he had devised a perfect scheme.
But he didn’t know Kai was quietly hiding inside his room.
“If we leave him alone, he’ll bring everything to us. Just keep watching.”
“Kik!”
The Supreme General welcomed Selic’s plot.
It was, quite literally, a service that came to him on its own.
“Let’s go to the nearest city dimension. We’ll take it and absorb the surrounding farms while waiting for everyone to gather.”
The wreckage of the Dimension Ships was left in the Apocalid dimension without recycling.
Selic’s flagship was towed by the Giants.
“There it is.”
The dimension housing the Gratis city appeared.
The population was about 500,000.
It was Selic’s clan, and a shadow loomed over the dimension Selic had indicated.
The Gratis city was already in chaos.
Black smoke rose here and there, and brawls broke out across the city.
The Gratis who should have been at the artillery were nowhere to be found.
The dimension-shadow Apocalid dominated the airspace of the dimension unopposed.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwang!
It unleashed a barrage of Mana Cannon fire.
The artillery was smashed, and armed forces were turned to rubble.
Kuong’s belly opened, revealing a massive Bio Pod.
It fell swiftly, slowing just before hitting the ground and landed gently.
Its door opened.
Kwoong.
A building-sized monster burst forth.
A Central Cannon Giant.
It shoved buildings aside with its shield and blasted flames in all directions.
Huge flames engulfed the Gratis, setting fire to the city.
Large Gratis charged forward.
The smaller ones were ten meters tall, the larger twenty, totaling twelve.
If left unchecked, the Central Cannon Giant would be attacked from all sides.
Swoosh.
A large Gratis collapsed.
Lutal drew its Death Blade and leapt toward the next target.
Swoosh.
The Death Blade dealt death easily, even to large mutants.
Kwoong! Kwoong! Kwoong!
Apocalids kept dropping from the Bio Pods, hunting the Gratis relentlessly.