Episode 1031 Intellectual Conflict (5)
Mouth
A vulgar term for the mouth.
In human society, the mouth of an animal is generally referred to as a mouth or snout, and is also used as a form of profanity.
From the perspective of an ordinary human, dragons are infinitely closer to beasts than to humans, so “dragon’s jaw” might actually be the correct term.That is, at least according to common usage.
[… … Mouth?]
Bloodia muttered blankly. It was a reaction that suggested doubt as to whether she had heard correctly.And understandably so, as the opponent who had insulted her for the first time in a very long time was neither a Destroyer of Fate nor a disciple of Oldark, but an artificial golem.
[Agari?]
Like ‘you’, Oldark was an absolute being even before ‘you’ became a true god.
If ‘you,’ who possess ideals, had started the war of destiny without being fully prepared, the victor would have been Oldarc. All the Apostles, including Bloodia, revere and acknowledge Oldarc’s stature.
However, it was not Oldarc’s golem.
Especially for Bloodia.
Since dragons are a naturally born, transcendent race, while Oldarc’s artificial golems are merely ‘objects’ created artificially.
How can one respect something that is fundamentally completely different?
It is a false entity.
Therefore, Bloodia went beyond despising Alpha and Beta to ignoring them. That was also the reason Alpha stole the remnants of the Evil God from Bloodia in the second game. Bloodia did not even treat Alpha as someone to be wary of.
In the ancient adventure story, having just fought a fierce battle against the Destroyer of Fate, I was merely dumbfounded to be caught off guard… but not now.
An inanimate object that doesn’t even know what life is insulted the current pinnacles of dragons.
A mere artificial golem.A worthless creature.
[What did you just say?]
[Blocked ears?]
Alpha selected the most appropriate word for the situation from among the swear words he saw and heard while traveling.
[Lizard. Mouth. Shut up.]
It was a vocabulary that even Verden and Deus were astonished by.
[─────────────!!!]
Bloodia roared. At the stirring of powerful life force, the human woman form maintained through polymorph partially crumbled.
The red pupils split precisely vertically, and two wings extend from its back. Teeth at the corners of its long, torn mouth sharpened as if to crush anything.
There was a significant difference between him and the dragon Regrit, who had transformed into a half-human, half-dragon.
Violence of a different dimension.
The presence of the Ancient Dragons, considered among the most formidable of the Transcendental Species, spread in an instant. No… just as the word ‘Apostles’ implies, it was ‘Ancient Dragons’. Althoughit was unknown how many of the Four Great Ancient Dragons were mixed in, their presence threatening Deus and Verden’s party was at a level that could not be ignored.
The space trembled at the sound of a ferocious cry.
[There is nothing a golem, more insignificant than the countless insects scattered about, cannot say. You are merely a tool created for Oldarc’s purposes, a thing with no value in existence without a master to serve!]
Bloodia spewed out rage mixed with contempt with bloodshot eyes. And she revealed her thoughts about the artificial golems in their entirety.
Shelbron, who had to block excessive provocation as a referee, was stiff, but he managed to open his mouth and intervene in the confrontation between the guest of honor and the VIP.
“Um, y-the level of provocation is high, so please calm down—”
Deus lightly waved his hand. The turbulent space was separated into inside and outside. The stage surrounding the outside and intellectual impulses was separated.
The third guest of honor’s exclusive authority – the private room.
Because there were spectators, the view could not be blocked, but now the sound could not be heard. Shelbron could not tell what was being said.Unless there was a physical collision, the referee could not sanction them.
Bloody smiled a cruel smile.
[You are a creature worse than a parasite.]
“How dare you…….”
Just as Verden was about to get upset, Alpha flashed a single eye.
[Lizard. Strong-weak-strong.]
[……what?]
[Dragon Trait: Arrogant in everything. However, if they actually cannot handle it, they cannot even lift their heads.]
If Alpha had tendons, they would have bulged out, and if he had a jaw and molars, he would have clenched them so hard they made a sound.That is how Verden felt. Alpha expressed his rage more than ever before.
[Your Majesty the Demon King. The Last Resistor. The Archenad Demon Kingdom is a clear enemy of destiny. However, since its founding, there has not been even a hint of impending destruction. An actual crisis threatening the nation’s survival? None. Safe.]
Alpha knew how to harbor faint emotions from the beginning, and as she gained experience in the world after leaving the Golem Research Facility, the power of her emotions grew ever so slightly stronger.By the time she reunited with the Administrator in the Silent Desert, whom she thought had vanished due to a lack of magic power, she understood emotions so deeply that she even added an exclamation mark at the end of her sentences.
[500 years. For five centuries, the Followers of Fate have not tampered with the Kingdom of Magic. Traitors who attacked the Luas religion through the Oath-Wielder’s contract are being rooted out. Unlike Eon, not a single traitor has ever been found in the Kingdom of Magic.]
Alpha looked down at the battlefield of the intellectual conflict.
Until recently, Bloodia and Deus were being overwhelmed by the strategic calculations of His Majesty Verden, Alpha, and Beta. Although it appeared even now, the situation was bound to become one-sided after several hundred turns.
Unlike a real battlefield where the opponent is invisible, intellectual conflicts are like chess where the opponent’s position is clearly visible, so their chances of winning were clearly higher as they were specialized in calculation.
However… now, after dozens of turns, the expanded territory has shrunk drastically, and the two factions pressured His Majesty Verden’s faction by encircling it from the left and right.The pieces of the Reverse Heaven faction, which should have been wreaking havoc on the battlefield, focused solely on defense, aiming only for a counterattack without incurring any losses.
Perhaps that is why the Alpha unit, which single-handedly risked danger to break through the defensive line and destroy a Knight unit of the Fate faction, stood out particularly.
[why?]
Bloodia and Deus struck at His Majesty Verden’s most sensitive spot. The Host had prepared an improved intellectual game specifically to induce this situation.His Majesty Verden, who had never backed down under any circumstances, had no choice but to weaken in the face of the beings he sought to protect, including Alpha and Beta.
His Majesty Verden was such a being.
The reason His Majesty Verden unconsciously hesitated to transcend was his fear of losing those by his side in the process of advancing toward his ideal.The enemy mercilessly bit into that very vulnerable part.
To put it in Golem terms, I didn’t like it.To put it in human terms, I was seething with annoyance.To describe it in ‘Alpha’ terms, I was angry.
I hated Bloodia for daring to openly mock His Majesty Verden.I disliked the host who was gleefully watching His Majesty Verden sweating profusely in distress.I was displeased with Deus Widen for calmly placing his hand on Bloodia’s offensive in order to exclude His Majesty Verden from victory first.
[Blodia. Apostle of Destiny. His Majesty the Demon King. Fear.]
A massive evil that seems to be heading toward the world itself.
Even if everyone else was afraid, Alpha did not bat an eye. Because he was not scared at all. As long as His Majesty Verden is by his side, Alpha is ‘invincible’.
[A covert battle of wits between Fate and the Resistor? Deny. The fundamental reason is survival. The Apostle of Fate has been unable to approach the Magic Kingdom so far out of fear of His Majesty the Demon King. There is a possibility that he could be killed by His Majesty the Demon King before ‘you’ awaken. Bloodia cannot be ruled out. A coward.]
So Alpha didn’t hold back.
[Alpha’s Hypothesis. An Error?]
If His Majesty Verden cared for everyone more than himself out of ideals, conviction, and a sense of responsibility, Alpha protected His Majesty Verden more than himself with pure sincerity.
No one can mock His Majesty Verden’s heart.
Even His Majesty the Demon King who created Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Omega.
[Error? Answer.]
Boom!
Bloodia stomped her foot. The platform she was standing on cracked. Murderous intent beyond rage surged in like a tidal wave.
[Do you really… want to die?]
[Error? Answer.]
[Oldark’s Creature!!]
[what.]
Alpha shouted.
[what!!]
… … !
Bloodia flinched at Alpha’s sharp rebuke. Deus also opened his eyes wide. Clearly, the emotional expressions that the artificial golem could produce had exceeded their limits in real time.
Evolution?A Golem?
Even if steel remains steadfast for a long time, it cannot become mithril. This is because there are material limitations. The same applies to artificial entities.Unless there is a separate process involving the physical addition of something, they cannot exceed the upper limit set by the blueprint. That was the natural order and providence.
Deus was flustered.
‘how…….’
In the case of Alpha and Beta, who inherited some of the intelligence of the primordial wizard, there was a possibility of mental growth, but just as humans cannot become dragons, there was a natural upper limit.
It is an intangible realm, so it is impossible to gauge, but…
At the very least, the way Alpha is currently displaying himself has completely broken away from the role of a created golem as the overall head of the golem research facility.
“So what are you going to do about it? We’re in the middle of a game, are you going to hit me or do anything? Apostle or whatever, what can you do? Are you going to ignore the rules and charge in only to get banished? Kill me? Go ahead and kill me. What, what? So what do you want me to do?” Alpha glared straight at Bloodia as if to say just that.
[… … .]
Bloodia trembled, her eyes choked with speechlessness.There was no room for a valid counter-argument.In fact, the reason they had not yet taken action against the Arkenad Magic Kingdom was that they did not know what extraordinary measures Oldark might have prepared. To the Followers of Fate, that place was tantamount to the Resistance’s stronghold.
Silence fell.
Beta looked at Alpha in admiration.He truly was his older brother.He had overwhelmed Bloodia with a conversation that defied expectations with an emotional intensity. As the younger brother, Beta clearly remembered Alpha’s commanding presence.
Alpha.
Verden was speechless. It was the first time Alpha had been so enraged.The sight of a creature smaller than his palm silencing the Four Great Elder Dragons delivered a shock to Verden unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
[Your Majesty Verden. Beta.]
Since Deus just turned this place into a sealed room, speaking his real name does not violate the rules of the Arcadium.
[Blodia. Alpha scolds him.]
Verden stroked Alpha’s head familiarly.
Yeah, well done.
That’s great.
[Ahem.]
Alpha proudly leaned forward and then raised his arm. He pointed at Bloodia with his small right arm.
[Still not enough. Your Majesty Verden. A harsh lesson for the lizard. Hope.]
Verden immediately composed himself and observed the intellectual clash. All pieces, except for the alpha piece, were in a perfect defensive formation.However, one could never win without advancing. That was the structure of the intellectual clash.
The conviction that no one can be sacrificed remains unchanged.
Games as games.Reality as reality.
One should rightfully distinguish between the game and reality, but this was a game orchestrated by the host himself. Verden made no effort to separate intellectual conflict from reality. Thiswas because he believed that every choice made here was ultimately an extension leading to reality.
So I have no choice but to respond sincerely, just like reality.
It was only after witnessing Alpha’s completely unexpected performance that Verden made his choice.
That’s right.
I realized that there is no reason to discuss winning and losing while trapped within the framework of the game. I treat the game as reality. However, there are no game rules or constraints in reality.
Right, this is my answer.
Verden reached out his hand. Adrian’s piece advanced to protect Alpha’s piece. With every turn, the defensive line was dismantled moment by moment.
thud.
The king of the camp that needs the most protection—the Verden artifact began to move.
* * *
Bloodyia’s head got hot.
Although I was shaken by the unimaginable insult I suffered at the hands of Alpha, I was so engrossed in Verden’s weakness that the camp’s defenses were lax.
Boom, crash!
Crunch!
Adrian’s artifact’s third strike, which completely ignored defense and cut unconditionally, delivered the finishing blow to Bloodia’s wizard artifact.
Verden’s tactics in launching a massive counterattack were truly like waves.They swarmed in relentlessly.Even Verden’s pieces were out on the front lines, running wild. The King piece is finished when it dies, but that is precisely why it possesses such powerful abilities.
Kwagwagwagwagwa!
On the desert tile, the Ishur artifact was destroyed by the Verden artifact.The Seventh Apostle fell silent.
[Ugh… …]
Meanwhile, not a single piece from the Verden camp was killed.Only some suffered minor damage.
Bloodia was frantic trying to reorganize the front lines while blocking counterattacks as much as possible. Even her anger toward Alpha bowed for a moment.
thud!
Deus was testing the waters, so he did not fall victim like Bloodia. The faction of the Resistors and the faction of the Rebellion stood in opposition to each other.
It appears that Bloodia has suffered psychological trauma.
Beta, sensing that Bloodia was showing signs of weakness, looked at Deus. As Alpha’s younger sibling, it was only right for Beta to weaken the other’s forces.
A strategy was formulated.There was sufficient information.
[Deus Widen. I have a question.]
“……?”
Deus, who had been focused on the intellectual clash, raised his head and blinked.
[Deus Widen belongs to the forces of the Resistors, but he helped Beta in the second game. He rode a Pegasus to distract the dragon and the remnants of the evil god. He also showed a change in emotion while looking at Beta.]
I didn’t know what kind of emotion it was right away, but it was certainly not a negative one.
[So I formulated a hypothesis.]
Beta’s hypothesis.
[Deus Widen has been by His Majesty the Demon King’s side for over a thousand years.]
Compared to that, Alpha and Beta are only about 500 and 300 years old.
[Was Deus Widen present when His Majesty the Demon King created Alpha and Beta?]
Deus’s hand stopped trying to move the object.
