Chapter 94 : Male-type Luise Werft
Chapter 94: Male-type Louise Werft
The Tower absorbed every negative emotion, life force, and blood within its territory and converted them into Demonic Points.
Even outside its territory, as long as there existed a clear target and purpose—the Demon King—the result was the same.
But human emotions did not always turn toward the Demon King or demons.
Humans liked to unleash their old resentments and fury on each other rather than on demons.
They screamed, cursed, and sometimes took action.
War.
To gain more land.
To gain wealth.
For honor.
They tore at each other's throats and stabbed blades into each other’s hearts.
But those emotions and that life force were terribly hollow. Humans could not make use of them, so they lost their purpose and vanished in vain.
Demon Emperors of past generations had found it wasteful and created portable miniature towers. If they planted them after collecting the rampant negative emotions from places steeped in hatred, the Tower would absorb them when they returned.
Berje planted several miniature towers everywhere. These were buried deep underground, unlikely to be discovered easily.
‘The Filerium War.’
A war triggered by the discovery of a mine filled with an enormous amount of mana stones beneath the Filerium Mountain Range, which served as the natural border of the two nations.
Mana stones were an indispensable, precious resource on the continent, and greed for them knew no nationality.
The war had happened even before his regression. But Berje had almost forgotten because he had not been directly involved.
‘But originally this was supposed to happen two years later.’
Yet it was already beginning.
That meant Jason had interfered. Perhaps it had been under his plan from the very beginning.
It wasn’t particularly important. What mattered was the massive amount of Demonic Points he could gain from the war.
“It’s done. I planted it deep using a spirit, so unless a meteor falls and overturns everything, no one will find it.”
Masked Ernan rose like a shadow. Ten elves stood behind her. A dwarf stood beside them.
“Good work.”
“Yes.”
Ernan smiled brightly.
“But why are we here?”
“You know where this is, right?”
“This is the Filerium Mountain Range.”
“Right. And beneath this place lies an enormous amount of mana stones.”
“···What?”
“Mana stones···!”
Roger’s eyes sparkled.
“I don’t know the exact amount, but it should be quite a lot.”
“Then… this is serious.”
Ernan grasped the situation instantly.
“The Empire and the Southern Union will collide.”
Natural mana stones far surpassed artificial ones in purity and overall quality. They were valuable both financially and as strategic materials.
“This place belongs to no one. So anyone can claim it as theirs.”
Filerium had not become the border simply because it was treacherous.
It was a land overflowing with monsters—no one wanted to claim it.
But if they discovered the enormous quantity of mana stones buried here, it would only be a matter of time before their attitude changed.
“They still don’t know about the mana stone mine.”
Of course, they would soon find out. Jason would spread the news.
“And we are already here.”
“Then…?”
“Right. You know why I brought you all.”
To a Demon King, mana stones were not very useful. Unlike elixirs, they couldn’t be consumed, and there wasn’t much to do with them.
Selling them for money would be a different matter, but it was unusual for people like Jason and Berje to care about money in the first place.
And Berje needed a massive amount of mana stones for another purpose unrelated to money.
“We’re taking everything before they discover it and start a war.”
“Loyalty! I swear absolute loyalty!”
One dwarf, whose eyes had already gone wild, roared.
---
Finding a buried mana stone mine in a vast mountain range crawling with monsters was not easy.
But with Berje present, monsters could not approach.
And with Ernan, as long as spirits could track mana—
It might be easier than expected.
“I found it.”
Ernan opened her eyes. The mid-grade earth spirit sitting above her head also opened its eyes.
It had taken exactly two days.
“···There’s really a lot. It doesn’t end.”
“That’s why we’re here.”
“Ooh…! How much, exactly…?”
“Hmm, the mana stones were detected about 20 meters underground. And even after digging another 30 meters beneath that, it’s still full of mana stones.”
“Demon King.”
“What is it, speaking so solemnly for no reason?”
“What do you think about building a mana cannon with a diameter of 10 meters? With this many mana stones, the power source would certainly be sufficient.”
“At that point, it isn’t even a cannon.”
It would be a mad weapon capable of slicing the continent in half.
“But heavy cannons are every man’s dream, are they not?”
“Think about that later. For now, we’re mining.”
“Yes, of course! I’ll work until my bones break!”
The elves began working first.
The earth spirits they summoned started digging. After a long descent, a massive naturally formed underground cavern appeared.
A stream of groundwater flowed across its center.
“I sense the mana stones below this. We can start mining from here.”
“Not bad.”
He had worried that digging from the surface might draw unwanted attention, but in an underground cavern like this, there was no need to worry.
“Seal the hole we came through. Leave no trace.”
“Yes.”
The faint sunlight seeping in disappeared completely. Roger took out a magical lantern from a subspace pouch, illuminating the darkness.
They set up a drill and distributed pickaxes among the elves.
“Where exactly should we dig?”
The best mining method would have been to use earth spirits, but spirits could not exert their full power near mana stones because they absorbed surrounding mana.
They had to dig manually—one reason Berje had dragged Roger and the elves here.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—
The drill Roger had built roared loudly as it bored into the ground.
“Ooh, I feel it.”
And once the presence of mana stones grew stronger, they put away the drill and gently scraped the earth with pickaxes.
After struggling for a while, a lustrous purple ore finally appeared.
“Ooh···! Clear and pure. Its purity must be extremely high.”
That was when it happened.
“Get down!”
Berje rose to his feet.
Roger slammed his head to the ground. Stone debris filled his mouth. Something hot split the air above them as the drill cracked apart.
Kwaaaang—
A small explosion erupted. The dwarf unable to withstand the shock rolled across the floor. A splash of water struck Roger’s body.
When he cautiously opened his eyes, a wall of water was protecting him.
He saw masked Ernan and Berje, whose red hair was whipping in the air.
“Who are you?”
Berje stepped forward. The red flames rippled.
“And who are you creatures?”
A growling voice echoed from the tunnel connected to the cavern.
Ka-ka-ka-ka—
The sound of dragging metal followed.
“Who dares covet what is mine?”
“Yours?”
“What you are trying to mine—those.”
---
**New Terms/Characters Introduced**
• 필레리움 산맥 : Filerium Mountain Range
• 필레리움 전쟁 : Filerium War
A massive figure emerged. The muscles covering its nearly two-meter-tall body were as striking as the long, oversized greatsword it dragged across the ground.
“That’s mine.”
The creature muttered.
“Yours? Does ore buried underground have an owner?”
“The one who found it first owns it. And I found it first.”
“Proof?”
“My memory is proof.”
The greatsword lifted, aiming at them.
“If you retreat quietly, I’ll spare your lives.”
Killing intent seeped from him.
---
Ernan stood behind Berje.
The elves behind her drew their weapons.
Berje recognized the man’s face.
Before his regression, he hadn’t cared much about humans. But even someone as arrogant as he was couldn’t help but know the symbolic heroes—those who fought him most frequently, those who climbed the Tower the most.
The man before him was one of them.
Like Jesica Horton, he was both a Hero and a Star, and also of royal blood.
The Southern Union—an alliance of dozens of small nations. The first prince of the Barkat Kingdom, the nation that claimed leadership over all of them.
Pablo Barkat.
‘Why is *he* here?’
A Hero who had reached the Star rank would, of course, be strong. The real problem was that he was a prince.
A small nation—yet not truly small.
The crown prince of the kingdom that claimed leadership of the entire Southern Union.
He was the Union’s spiritual pillar and its practical leader.
Clashing with him would be unwise. Why was he here? Was he boldly trying to claim ownership of the mana stones?
‘I don’t know.’
There was no way to know the reason.
Back then, Berje had not known exactly how the mana stone mine had been discovered or how the Empire and the Union had ended up at war.
Nor how Jason had manipulated them.
What mattered was that the man before him was no different from a male version of Louise Berfht—and that he was pointing his greatsword at Berje.
“Should I kill him?”
Ernan whispered quietly.
“···You know who that is, right?”
“The Crown Prince of the Barkat Kingdom. I’ve met him before.”
“And you still suggest killing him?”
“If there are no witnesses, there’s no problem. Remove every trace and there are no witnesses.”
“You don’t like him?”
“He once visited the kingdom as an envoy. I don’t have good memories of that time.”
“Make sure your mask doesn’t come off.”
“Yes.”
“Same for you elves.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, Berje and everyone with him wore masks.
His identity as *Pale*, transformed by Phoenix mana, was now a rather important cover.
‘He won’t just walk away.’
And he couldn’t be allowed to—not with a mana stone mine this important.
The fact that Pablo had personally come meant he was certain of what lay here. There was no way words alone would make him leave.
So—
‘I’ll take him down.’
Knock him out and throw him somewhere. As long as he didn’t die, it would be fine.
Fortunately, he was alone. If Berje had been alone as well, it might have been a problem—but he had Ernan.
Not a Hero, yet possessing talent equal to a Star—or more—this princess was here.
“We have to knock him out.”
“Breaking an arm or two is fine, right?”
“That much is fine. But your identity must never be exposed. Nothing must remain that could reveal it later.”
“Then I shouldn’t use high-grade spirits.”
A spirit sorceress was rare, and one who could summon high-grade spirits was even rarer. A high-grade spirit was practically the signature of its summoner.
“Signal the elves.”
“Yes.”
“What are you whispering about!”
“If you give up and leave, maybe I’ll let you go.”
Berje stepped forward.
“Well now, what should I do.”
Perhaps the submissive tone made Pablo lower his guard—just a little.
“If you’ll let me go, then I’ll leave.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I can’t let people who have learned about the mana stone vein walk free.”
“Then?”
“I’ll keep you somewhere safe. For one month. Just behave for one month.”
“You’re spouting nonsense with such confidence.”
“What?”
The moment Pablo snapped back, Berje tightened his legs. The distance between them was already more than close enough.
Red flames erupted like an explosion. They devoured everything as he charged.
Pablo raised his greatsword.
“A foolish choice.”
The flames split. Orange aura rose high. It cleaved the fire and shot straight toward Berje’s chest.
Kwa-rurur—
The earth shook under Pablo’s legs. The sword tip wavered. The momentum slowed.
A crimson flash grazed Berje’s hair, barely cutting a strand before vanishing. Just before it returned, Berje seized the blade.
Pajijijik—
Aura and flame clashed as if trying to devour each other. His palm split open. Berje clenched his teeth at the searing pain.
For an instant, Pablo’s movements halted. Arrows fired by the elves flew toward him. Various spirit spells sliced through the air.
An explosion rang out. In the torn earth and shattered stones and thick dust, Pablo dropped his sword.
“To think you’d try such a pathetic ambush. Well, I suppose expecting manners from masked thieves would have been foolish.”
He targeted Ernan. His fist—massive, like that of a northern barbarian—swung.
KWAANG!
The hastily raised wall of earth shattered. His sturdy legs crushed the ice that had formed on the ground as he propelled himself forward again.
A wind spirit lifted Ernan’s body. Pablo followed immediately.
The elves’ arrows failed to slow the two.
The distance between them closed in an instant. Aura revealed its ferocity.
Jjeoeoong—
Ernan’s body jolted.
Berje hurled aside the aura-doused sword. He braced his legs against the ground. Fire became his propulsion as he shot forward in a straight line.
Kwaaaang—
Before the beast’s fist could strike the princess again, Berje’s flames wrapped around it.
“Where are you looking with me standing right here?”
He clenched his fist and thrust it forward. Aiming for the chest—yet it collided with another fist.
The shockwave rocked both their bodies. Shattered aura and flames scattered in every direction.
The cavern trembled, but neither hid their hostility. They punched simultaneously.
Once.
Twice.
Dozens of times.
Fist clashed with fist. Aura and fire gnawed at one another. They poured out everything to destroy.
Shockwaves shook the entire cavern.
The elves screamed and retreated.
Through that fierce exchange, the princess intervened.
With a blade formed by a wind spirit and coated in flame, she launched it.
The swirl of mingled heat drew the man’s gaze aside. That opening allowed the Demon King’s punch.
Kwaaaang—
The prince’s body was slammed deep into the earth. But when the dust cleared, he was no longer in the crater.
“You arrogant wench…!”
The wounded beast lunged to tear out the princess’s throat.
Nothing filtered the murderous intent—raw, savage. His rampaging aura swelled monstrously. Well-trained muscles propelled him with overwhelming speed.
Ernan couldn’t react. She couldn’t escape.
The sword Berje had thrown earlier was already back in its master’s hand.
Crude but massive, the blade sharpened even further when charged with aura. It shot straight toward the princess’s heart.
Ernan swallowed hard.
The aura suffocating the air smothered every route of escape. Death crept over her skin.
Berje was too far. The elves far too weak to intervene.
So she made her choice.
Bubble, bubble—
Droplets formed. Between the sword and the princess, between aura and her chest, something rose to block the strike.
────!
The cavern shook again.
Pablo gritted his teeth. His massive body halted under the force of the rebound.
— You insolent brat, who do you think you’re pointing a sword at?
A translucent silhouette appeared behind the princess.
“A high-grade spirit?”
Water droplets swirled densely. Streams wrapped around his body like serpents. A wall of water stood between the sword and Ernan.
“Die!”
He split the wall, but could not push through completely—the blade stopped just short of her breast.
The wall shuddered with a cracking sound.
But that moment was enough time for the Demon King to arrive.
“You die.”
Kwaaaaang—
The utterly defenseless back of Pablo’s head caved in. He collapsed forward, driven into the ground even deeper than before.
Berje stomped on his back dozens of times, ensuring the job was done thoroughly.
Then he approached the collapsed princess.
“You’re all right?”
“···Yes.”
Ernan exhaled raggedly. The blade had not touched her chest directly. But it hurt. At the same time, a thin trickle of blood slid from her lips.
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“I’m fine. My chest just hurts and it feels like my whole body’s being eaten by insects? I just overdid it.”
Her heart’s mana heart screamed, her mana pathways torn—overload. Fighting a Hero who bore a Star’s name left no room for hesitation.
“Take an elixir when you return to the Tower.”
“Are you all right, Demon King?”
“Not to the point of dying.”
Berje wiped the blood running from his lips.
He wasn’t dying—but that was all.
Fighting a Star with mana he wasn’t used to was simply like that.
If not for Ernan and the elves, it would be Berje lying in the dirt right now, not Pablo.
“That’s good. But… I ended up summoning Nairuniel. Sorry. You told me not to get exposed.”
“It’s fine. Better than you dying.”
“···What?”
Ernan asked back, but the Demon King didn’t hear her.
“Tie him up.”
“I have something perfect! Those cuffs Lord Pale told me to modify last time!”
“···Not bad, but why are you carrying those around?”
“You told me to modify the useless cuffs that couldn’t restrain Lord Hillan, didn’t you? Isn’t now the perfect chance? To see whether they can restrain a Star or not!”
“And again—why do you carry them around?”
“I figured they’d be useful someday. And see? They are!”
Roger grinned slyly as he cuffed the unconscious Pablo. The elves asked the earth spirit to bury his entire body except for the head.
‘Good.’
Berje let out a relieved breath.
When that blade stopped just before Ernan’s heart, his chest had dropped.
Ernan could not die.
She was a princess. With Hilderan’s future uncertain, unless he intended to cut ties with them entirely, she must not die.
If things went badly, she could serve as a lifeline.
‘She’s hurt, but thankfully not seriously.’
Once she rested in the Tower, she would recover.
‘Then.’
Berje looked down at the prince, whose head alone remained above the ground. In a brief moment, he made his decision about how to handle him.
He would use him more efficiently—as a chess piece to expand the board.
He called Ernan.
“We’re really doing it?”
“Can you manage?”
“My acting isn’t great, but I can try.”
“Good.”
“But even if we don’t do this, won’t they end up fighting anyway?”
“Decisions made in calm and decisions made in fury are different.”
“Ahh, I see.”
Right on cue, Pablo’s eyebrows trembled—he was waking up.
“You’re awake, little ant prince of the South?”
“···Imperial dog?”