Chapter 244: #An Audience with Emperor

History repeated itself. Just like how I’d used pesticides against the hundred-thousand-strong army ants in my previous life, Demon Lord’s hellish flames engulfed the forest, nearly decimating the entire imperial army.

However, humans were adaptive creatures, albeit I was an ant.

Swooooosh!

I absorbed the ravaging infernal flames with my legs.

“

Phew.”

Anyway, I’d used Demon Lord’s North Divine Power to suck it all back in, and it worked according to my expectations. Aside from that, my condition seemed to have improved as well, and my carapace glistened from the heat.

Anty clasped her hands together with twinkling eyes. “

Wooow!

As expected of Lord Yu Il-Shin! What an incredible miracle!”

“Oh! Witnessing your miracle moved me to compose a song! The evil imperial soldiers burned alive under God Yu Il-Shin’s hellish flames as he chants

Puck puck

~

Woohoyi~

♬”

Ugh,

I had my doubts for a moment, but hearing that pig squealing made me certain. It was Baek-Ho, alright!

Meanwhile, the surviving imperial soldiers all sprawled on the ground, afraid to raise their heads.

“G-God! Please have mercy!”

“P-please let me live...”

All of them were covered in soot, looking like stragglers. Since I could quickly reverse the situation, it didn’t affect them much. I probably killed three thousand of their soldiers? I also inadvertently regained the Brutal Killer title and Convicting Middle Finger of God in the process, but it still didn’t feel quite right.

Well, it can’t be helped. What has happened, has happened.

There was no use crying over spilt milk. Besides, they were here to massacre my beloved Gayami Tribe! If anything, I was being merciful!

I looked at the army’s front lines, their soldiers and leaders.

“God of the Black Tribe, please show us mercy...”

They looked familiar. One of them was the deputy general who led the hundred-thousand-strong army to kill me in my previous life. Beside him was an ant with a long, good-looking beard.

[No. 808]

-Nature rejects evil!

Hey, it was that same druid ant that shot a beam at my forehead! It looked like an ordinary bearded ant on the game screen, but from up close, it resembled Randalf from

Master of the Rings

!

“

Hmm

.” Still on the carriage, I cleared my throat and said solemnly, “Rest assured. As I’ve said earlier, I don’t wish to kill the innocent. If you don’t retaliate, I’ll send you back to the empire.”

“T-thank you!”

Color returned to the faces of the deputy general and druid ants.

“However, you must pass this to your emperor.”

I carefully handed something to the deputy general, as if presenting a box of apples to the higher-ups. It was a secret message I’d written on a leaf with ash.

The deputy general’s eyes went wide. “I-It’s the first time I’ve seen this language! A secret message written in the language of gods! I shall deliver this to His Majesty without fail!”

Though, It’s not the language of gods, but Korean.

“Yes. You must deliver it as soon as possible.”

I expected the Emperor to dispatch the Fourth Sword and General Kamikiri, the praying mantis, along with five hundred thousand imperial soldiers after this battle—something that had to be prevented.

Careful not to let my Gayami children hear me, I whispered to the deputy general and druid ants, “I’ve always deeply admired your emperor’s character.”

“

Ooh!”

“Though today's events led to misunderstandings and conflict between us, that was never my intention. Explain everything to your Emperor—and tell him I will meet him personally, soon.”

“Understood! I’ll convey this divine message to His Majesty as soon as possible! His Majesty’s tolerance is as vast as the ocean! With the divine power you’ve demonstrated today, you’ve pretty much secured a high divine throne in the Hundred Gods Temple!”

“In that case, Deputy General Hibiscus, why don’t you use my Wind Spirit?” the druid ant suggested.

“Oh right, you have one! Yes please!”

The druid ant took over my secret message respectfully from the deputy general, then began chanting an incantation.

-Wind of nature! Deliver this to the great emperor!

Whiiiing!

The leaf floated in the air, before being swept up by a strong gust of wind, flying into the sky like a butterfly.

“His Majesty will soon receive the divine message.”

I was quite impressed. This druid ant was much more useful than I had expected.

The imperial army retreated soon after. The fierce force that had dyed the forest red disappeared from sight.

“L-Lord, we shall take our leave.” The druid ant struggled to get up, intending to return with the soldiers.

“Wait. You stay here.”

The druid ant flinched. “P-pardon? What do you mean by that?”

“Like I said, I’m going to pay your emperor a personal visit. You’ll be my guide.”

I couldn’t let such convenience go so easily.

The druid ant went pale as he bowed, saying, “Y-yes! I shall obey!”

I could’ve sent him along with the retreating army, but they might change their minds and attack me while on the way back. While I wasn’t particularly afraid, It’d be a major headache if I lost control of my powers and wiped them all out in the process.

“Lord Yu Il-Shin! Are you alright?”

My beloved Gayami children, whom I’d ordered to evacuate, came rushing over. They each had a weapon in their mouth, which tugged at my heartstrings.

“Don’t worry. I’m safe.”

Once again, I had decided to protect them at all costs. And to do that, I had to negotiate with the emperor first!

I dissuaded the children from following me and selected a few of them to pull the carriage along. Led by Il-Ho and Baek-Ho, a total of ten brave Gayami Tribe members escorted my carriage. And leading them in front was Anty, a white termite who stood out among the black ants.

“Anty, you are staying behind, right?”

“No! I am God Yu Il-Shin’s saintess! I can’t be absent from the path you are taking!” Anty’s eyes blazed with fiery determination even though she was twice smaller than the others.

Alright, we should be fine.

Although I was reduced to this state, I had since recovered my divine power. So, I should be able to protect her as well. Raising the tree branch Demon Lord high into the air, I shouted, “Alright! Let’s set off to the Emperor!”

“

Waaah!

”

The Gayami Tribe escort team then lifted the carriage energetically.

Emperor, just you wait! I’m coming for you!

“

Heave-ho! Heave-ho!

”

Yet unlike their shouts, the carriage was moving at a slow rate of one millimeter per second. Right, I forgot that they were ants.

W-will we even ever get there...?

***

In the Iron-Blood Empire that ruled Antrinia. In the Great Hall, thick with icy tension, sat the Ant Emperor, a being who had attained divinity despite his human origins. He had just received news that the hundred-thousand-strong army he sent to Ausrilla Forest had been defeated. Although the loss wasn’t significant, he lost General Stoogi.

Tens of thousands of ministers present shivered in fear, unsure when the tyrannical emperor would unleash his wrath upon them. Incompetence was unforgivable, and the emperor would not remain silent. He berated his ministers, denouncing them as worthless insects as they trembled in silence—then incinerated them to ashes.

Among the ministers, one who looked like a grasshopper mustered his courage to address the emperor.

"Your Majesty! We must show them the true might of the Empire! Please dispatch a large force against the insolent natives of that cursed forest and the god they worship!"

"Indeed! Grant me command of the army, and I will bring back the head of that false god!"

“

Ooh!

Sir Kamikiri!” Grasshopper’s face lit up as he looked at his comrade, the praying mantis clad in white robes.

“

Hoho.

Is there even a need to go to such lengths? Leave it to me, the Poison Sword. I shall offer the evil god to His Majesty the Emperor and Goddess Arachne,” said Buttor, a handsome man with beautiful wings.

The enchanting spider woman beside the emperor, Arachne, smiled contentedly as she gazed at Buttor.

“No! Please leave it to me, Demon Sword Cockroach! I will summon the demons from hell and devour them without leaving a trace!”

“No, leave it to me, Blood Sword Mosquito!”

The Ten Swords, known as the sturdy pillars of the empire, rushed forward, expressing their desire to slay the malevolent god. And yet, the emperor remained silent behind the veil.

“

Um,

Your Majesty?” Arachne probed, cautiously pulling back the veil. Only the goddess, highly favored by the emperor, could do this.

A grotesque and hideous monster, the combination of all beasts imaginable, sat arrogantly on the throne. He was the emperor of the Iron-blood Empire, feared and revered by all. Yet to Arachne, even his hideous appearance was endearing.

“Your Majesty, you seem happy.”

Indeed. A faint smile lingered at the corner of the emperor's mouth, a rare display of emotion beyond his usual anger.

“Isn’t that the secret message sent by that cruel god? I’ve never seen the language of the gods before...”

Holding a leaf inscribed with bizarre-looking words, the emperor said, “It’s not the language of gods, but Korean.”

“Pardon? What is Korean?”

Instead of replying, the emperor continued reading the message.

...This is the seventh letter I’ve sent you, and I don’t think I’ve ever put in the same amount of effort into my deadlines or love letters before. This is how much I’m thinking of you, Emperor. I told you about my meeting with the distant relatives of Anty, the refugees from the Termite Kingdom, right? The divine power I had gained from them was quite substantial after healing them. Oh right! Something huge happened today as well!

[Warning warning!]

[Malevolent God title Brutal Killer (F) has been activated!]

[The Nameless God’s combat luck has increased significantly due to the title’s activation!]

Riiip!

Suddenly, an alarm rang, and the space ripped open, revealing a Spiky Rhinoceros. Oh god, I never imagined seeing a Spiky Rhinoceros here! History must really be changing!

Oh, do you know what a Spiky Rhinoceros is? It’s an A-rank monster that appears in our world. I almost died from it in my previous life, but now that I’ve become an ant, it just feels like being hit by Mount Everest!

-Who are you...? How do you know my martial arts techniques?

Thankfully, the senile Demon Lord finally regained his senses, otherwise all of us would have been wiped out! Oh, but your druid ant is really impressive! I never knew you could tame a Spiky Rhinoceros before! So, I think we’ll be able to reach the capital much sooner than planned!

I’ll see you soon~ Your friend Yu Il-Shin, who loves you 3,000 times.

“

Keke.

”

Along with the emperor’s icy chuckle, the secret message turned into ashes. He looked at his own status window.

Ding!

[4,380,246 hours have passed since the tutorial began.]

[There are currently 2 survivors.]

Ever since he was stuck in this Tutorial, the number of survivors would increase from time to time. Without exception, he’d devour and absorb their powers. Now, what kind of divine powers would his new prey provide him?

The emperor didn’t even need to send out troops since his prey was brazenly courting death.

“I can see him.”

Ruuuumble!

Through the emperor’s godly vision, he could see a fierce cloud of dust billowing from dozens of kilometers away. A Spiky Rhinoceros was charging toward the imperial capital, with Yu Il-Shin sitting atop it.

“Let’s greet my self-proclaimed friend and eat him up.”

The emperor roared with laughter, and rose from his throne.