Chapter 58 (1/2)

SoJ Episode 4 Chapter 58

Episode 4: The Great Colonizing Age / Chapter 58: Revolution (3)

TL: emptycube

Editor: Obelisk

{Due to the intense battle, free karma points increased by 3.}

The fight against the ground devourer had ended. A message appeared. As even a single karma point was precious these days, Choi Hyuk was extremely happy.

For example, it took him one month to get his Control to reach 3-star. However, it took him 2 full years to get it to the outer limits of 4-star.

When his stats were at 1-star, meaning during in the {Ring of Rebirth} and the beginning of {Survive and Escape}, he was overflowing with karma. All his stats would increase by 1 when he killed a similar ranked opponent. However, when he reached 2-star, it changed so that he would only gain 1 free karma point every time he killed a similar ranked opponent. The level of difficulty had increased greatly.

However, when he looked back at it, those days were still good. They would reward him with tons of karma, claiming his feats as surprising achievements and/or results when they weren’t really all that amazing.

When his stats reached 3-star and 4-star, they really became h.e.l.lish to increase. It was then where it started to get harder to find similar ranked opponents. Of course, his stats would increase when he killed a lot of lower ranked enemies… The fact that he really had to kill a large number was the problem.  Now, however, he wouldn’t even be given any points for doing this anymore. The only thing he could rely on were the karma points he received from the ‘Battle Addict’ fate.

However, since last year, even that didn’t satisfy him. Earthlings, who were Consumables (Deferred), usually had cooperative missions with the lowest ranked warriors. The main stats of lowest ranked warriors were at about 3-star. No matter how difficult the mission he chose was, they no longer matched Choi Hyuk’s level. There were occasional large-scale battles with low ranked warriors who were at the 4-star level, but besides them, there weren’t any times where he could ‘fight intensely’. What was more, even if they were recruited for a large-scale battle, the roles of earthlings were mostly supportive so it was hard for Choi Hyuk to play an active part.

This meant that the Consumables fate of earthlings was hindering his growth.

Because of this, he couldn’t help but be happy whenever he saw a message stating that his karma increased due to intense battles. He had finally fought with all his strength and he even obtained 3 free karma points… His mood was really good.

On top of that, he finally reunited with Ryu Hyunsung and Chu Youngjin, whom he had sent on a dangerous mission, and hadn’t seen for a long time. How could he not feel elated? Before the obvious curiosity of why they were here in the first place struck him, a welcoming feeling burst out instantly.

“Chu hyung! Ryu hyung! It’s been a while!”

And because of his shout, Baek Seoin, who had flopped on the floor after becoming exhausted from commanding the troops, widened his eyes.

“What?”

Lee Jinhee, who had dropped to the floor, suddenly got up and addressed her pain.

“Oh? Youngjin and Ryu hyung? Owowowow…”

She was a mess. It was the result of getting close to the ground devourer to attract its attention so that Choi Hyuk could land the fatal blow at the final moment. She contributed this time as well. She would always risk her life and survive, and she always had swollen bruises, fractures, and wounds.

Even in this state, Lee Jinhee got up to welcome Chu Youngjin and Ryu Hyunsung, who were staggering over from exhaustion.

Everyone survived.

One of the main criteria when Choi Hyuk chose Berserkers: Survivability. And fitting their roles as the top executives of the Berserkers, Chu Youngjin, and Ryu Hyunsung returned.

That day, they camped at the basin where they slew the ground devourer.

The sky always s.h.i.+ned with a milky hue. Although Dragonic didn’t have nights, their surroundings were dark as the night due to the basin. The Berserkers, who had no choice but to sleep in the light, were happy for this darkness.

When everyone was busy getting ready to sleep, the top executives held a meeting. Choi Hyuk, Baek Seoin, Lee Jinhee, Chu Youngjin, Ryu Hyunsung and finally the artillery captain, Handke, had gathered.

“Oh, my G.o.d. I never thought we’d discover a pa.s.sage on this expedition.”

It was as Handke said.

They thought that it would take two or three more attempts to see a small progress. They all implicitly believe this. However, they had reached their goal on their first attempt.

Though they were happy, they were just as much taken back.

“It’s difficult to attack the Sovereign of Dark Secrets with our current force. Since it wasn’t a seizing expedition to begin with…”

Baek Seoin’s suggestion was to withdrawal and prepare properly before going to war. It was a rational suggestion, but there was an objection. It was Lee Jinhee.

“I don’t think there will be much difference if we withdrawal and come back. Our numbers are small in the first place. Even if we include everyone, our numbers would be around 20,000? But if we exclude those who have been recruited for missions and those necessary to maintain our cities, wouldn’t the numbers be around 5,000? I don’t think there will be much of a difference between 3,000 and 5,000. Instead, why don’t we go earlier and release the slaves?”

“No. 3,000 and 5,000 are completely different numbers.”

Baek Seoin immediately opposed Lee Jinhee’s words. However, she wasn’t convinced.

“The Sovereign of Dark Secrets has 80,000 soldiers. 80,000 against 5,000 or 80,000 against 3,000, aren’t they similar?”

“Even if we say there are 80,000 colonizers, less than 10,000 of them will have at least 2-star. There’s a big difference between 5,000 and 3,000 against 10,000. And if we are thinking about occupying their territory and not simply going to war, then it makes sense every person counts.”

“Then can’t we strike first and come back again?”

“Why would you do that? We can just finish everything in one go.”

“But what are we going to do about those slaves who are being sold right now? And Youngjin and Ryu hyung suffered like this, and you want to just go back?”

Baek Seoin and Lee Jinhee argued. But, at some point, the discussion didn’t progress, and they simply said what they had already said over and over again.

Choi Hyuk wordlessly listened to them before cutting them off when he felt it was getting nowhere and addressed everyone.

“To be honest. My goal wasn’t to occupy them from the start.”

When other sovereign thought of ‘conquests’, they easily thought of ‘conquer and occupy’. Because of this, when Choi Hyuk proposed they ‘attack the Sovereign of Dark Secrets’, his followers all thought this was a ‘conquest’. Yet, Choi Hyuk was thinking much more simplistically than them.