The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

“Their intentions are quite blatant.”

Raul, who had returned to the situation room, muttered softly as he reviewed the incoming reports. Imperial superhumans have appeared on all fronts simultaneously.

They are not directly participating in the offensive but are operating around the defensive lines, almost as if showing off their strength. These reports came in before the updates on the Demon God’s Temples.

The news was that the Empire was reinforcing its offensives. Until now, it had been a war of attrition using beast soldiers and demon troops, but now it seemed they were ready to deploy their main forces.

‘Perfectly timed, of course.’

As soon as the Tower of the Demon Realm and the Demon God’s Temples appeared, the superhumans stepped onto the battlefield. It was almost a declaration that they intended to tie down this side’s superhumans on the battlefield.

“Are they trying to buy time until the passage to the Demon Realm opens?”

Indeed, if the Empire’s superhumans were lurking around the borders, it wouldn’t be easy for the national superhumans to move freely.

Furthermore, superhumans would be required to handle the monsters emerging from the high-level gates wave.

‘Literally an all-out offensive.’

Without a time limit, it wouldn’t be an issue, but dealing with this with limited personnel seemed tough.

“What about the movements of the Occultists?”

“There have been no reported movements yet.”

At Kane’s reply, Raul tapped the desk with his palm.

“Something smells fishy.”

Although superhumans had appeared, the Occultists were nowhere to be found.

‘It seems they’re keeping their trump cards hidden as well.’

Ordinary superhumans were not insignificant, but their impact had lessened compared to before. Raul’s forces alone had more than a hundred Master-level knights.

Including the superhuman players who had sworn allegiance to Raul, the numbers were considerable. The reason Raul and his top executives didn’t step onto the front lines was that they had enough superhuman forces to spare.

Even hearing the news about the Empire’s superhumans didn’t shake Raul. As long as the Empire’s Occultists, the superhumans among superhumans, didn’t directly participate, the defensive lines wouldn’t collapse.

“Maintain the current defensive posture and keep the emergency standby units alert for any movements from the Occultists. If requests for support come from other nations, dispatch them appropriately.”

“Yes, master. We will coordinate things properly.”

Bernard replied in a reliable voice. While Raul was away, the military control fell to Bernard and Philip. Philip mostly went out to the field, so the rear command naturally fell to Bernard.

Having an established command system that had been in place for several years, Raul had no worries. In case of emergency, he could still issue direct orders through the guild communication.

“What’s the situation with the Demon God’s Temples?”

“Two locations have been cleared. The one we handled and the one in the northeast, likely dealt with by the Holy Empire’s hero party.”

“Oh. Impressive.”

Raul spoke with admiration. Although he had met Noel directly, on the surface, his aura felt like that of an advanced Master level. However, the demons appearing in the Demon God’s Temple were quite formidable.

‘We managed to handle it relatively easily since we had faced them before.’

Count-level Demons.

At least warriors who could demonstrate power equivalent to high-Master level. Knowing that such beings were hidden in the Demon God’s Temples, he had anticipated that other teams would struggle.

Even if they succeeded, he expected it to take considerable time.

‘Is this the difference made by those who have been bestowed with divine power?’

In any case, the situation wasn’t as bad as he had anticipated.

“Five locations are currently being besieged. The Ruben Kingdom, along with other kingdoms and the Dwarf clans, have reported that they’ve begun their assaults on the Demon God’s Temples.”

“Is that so? What’s happening in the Elemental Jungle?”

“They seem to still be dealing with the mutated gates. Whether they will directly assault the Demon God’s Temple after clearing the gates is yet to be seen….”

Raul was less worried about the kingdoms and the Dwarf clans due to the tight-knit information exchange. Since they were already informed about the level of demons appearing in the Demon God’s Temples, they were adequately prepared.

Although the First Knight Order’s prominent activities drew a lot of attention, other kingdoms also possessed powerful superhumans.

Just as the Ruben Kingdom had the Swordmaster, each nation had its own superhuman representatives. While Raul might not have had direct connections with them, each one of them was a formidable hero comparable to Occultists, so immediate concern was unnecessary.

‘If that weren’t the case, the kingdoms wouldn’t have been able to withstand the Empire for over a decade in my past life.’

Regardless of whether the Empire’s offensives were genuine or not, NPC superhumans had always been able to fend off the Empire’s Occultists and defend the forbidden zones.

He was also not overly worried about the Dwarf clans. At the very least, the chieftains leading each Dwarf clan were powerful warriors of high-Master level or above.

With their advanced technologies and Titans, they should be well-equipped to handle the demons within the Demon God’s Temples. The main concern was the Elemental Jungle in the eastern continent.

The Elemental Jungle, home to the Elven race and two governments originating from Earth, wasn’t entirely trustworthy.

‘I can’t be sure if the Elves will hold out behind their barriers until the end, and as for the players….’

There were question marks. Simply based on level, Ilwoo had surpassed level 130 and carried the title of an advanced Master. Now, with Ilwoo gone, Spencer Miles of the United Government stood at level 132, holding the top rank.

The Chinese ranker Wang Qiang of the Frontier Alliance held the 4th position at level 131. However, there was no guarantee that level and skill correlated directly.

‘I hope they make wise choices.’

While the relationship wasn’t particularly good, he hoped they retained enough strength to protect themselves. Without that, navigating the world after the final scenario would be difficult.

In any case, the general situation was now understood.

“What’s the current position of our assault team?”

“They’ve arrived in the southern region of the Brennan Republic.”

“Let’s set off as well.”

“Yes, master.”

To clear all the Demon God’s Temples and enter the Tower of the Demon Realm within the time limit, they needed to hurry. Raul and Kane disappeared beyond the portal.

*

New Eden, the capital of the Earth Union Government. Inside the government building, the leaders of various nations and a few players were gathered for a conference.

“So, are you saying it’s impossible to assault the Demon God’s Temples right now?”

Though called a conference, it had the atmosphere of a hearing. Seated at a round table were the leaders and politicians from various countries. And standing on a slightly elevated platform in the center was a strong-looking blond man.

Spencer Miles.

The top ranker of the United Government and the leader of the most powerful assault team.

“Yes. It’s impossible for us to assault the Demon God’s Temples with our current strength.”

His firm voice caused murmurs among the politicians present.

“Captain Spencer, do you understand the implications of what you’re saying? Admitting that we can’t handle the Demon God’s Temples on our own territory is tantamount to acknowledging that our government’s strength is inferior to other nations!”

Former Chinese President Zhang Weiqian shouted, and others echoed his sentiment.

“Other nations have already started their assault teams on the Demon God’s Temples. How can we be the only ones opting out of this? This is unacceptable.”

“Are you planning to betray the expectations of the people who regard you as a hero?”

“Disappointing. Giving up without even trying. Captain Spencer, perhaps you should think more seriously about what it means to be the top player.”

A chorus of criticism followed, and the faces of Spencer and his assault team grew increasingly grim.

“Alright, enough! Let’s hear more from Captain Spencer.”

Union Government representative, former U. S. President Hartley Miles, shouted, and the room finally quieted down. Spencer sighed and began to speak.

“We reviewed the data shared by the First County. The demons that appear in the Demon God’s Temples are at least advanced Master level to high Master level. There are over ten intermediate-level demons as well. I am telling you clearly, with our current strength, we have no chance of defeating them!”

He then closed his mouth and even shut his eyes.

“We also received that information. But Captain Spencer, haven’t you surpassed the advanced Master level yourself? And we have over a hundred Masters. The government’s analysts have concluded that it’s a feasible mission!”

“Exactly. Are you saying you don’t trust our government’s assessment?”

“Ha. After all the investments we’ve made, you refuse to carry out the mission because you’re scared for your life? If you continue to be uncooperative, we will have no choice but to revoke your authority as captain!”

Some stood up, pointing fingers as they shouted.

Spencer opened his eyes wide and shouted back.

“Suit yourselves. I have no desire to cling to a captain’s position that’s empty anyway. And I have no intention of entrusting my life to a leadership that fails to grasp the situation and engages in nothing but armchair discussions.”

He then turned and left the meeting room without looking back.

“Captain Spencer!”

“Stop! Are you really planning to sever ties with the government?”

The voices from behind could not halt his steps. The guards stationed at the meeting room momentarily tried to block his path, but they were driven back by the demeanor of the players escorting him.

‘Ha, it seems I have no choice but to make contact.’

In Spencer’s mind, he recalled his encounter with someone who had visited him the previous night.

-This isn’t Earth. Keeping your honor is fine, but there’s no need to throw away your life over the hollow words of those who don’t understand the situation, don’t you think?

-If you need help, contact us anytime. Count Raul understands Earthlings better than anyone.

It was undoubtedly an agent from the First County. The most surprising thing was that he had entered Spencer’s bedroom without anyone noticing.

‘If even an ordinary agent possesses such incredible abilities, how amazing must the true experts be?’

Spencer had chosen the Union Government to maintain his honor and achieve his ambitions, but that was only if he stayed alive. A dark shadow loomed over Spencer’s back as he walked away.

Meanwhile, someone else was making a different choice.

“Wasn’t this expected? We can’t fall for Count Raul’s deceitful schemes again.”

“Of course. After facing the demons myself, I found their reputation to be exaggerated. With sufficient support and rewards guaranteed, I will certainly conquer the Demon God’s Temples!”

The top ranker of the Pioneer Alliance, Wang Qiang, declared confidently. The judgment of the union’s leadership was no different. Having already dealt with dozens of mutated gates within their territory, they had gauged the level of the demons.

No matter how high-ranking the demons appearing in the Demon God’s Temples were, they concluded that over a hundred superhuman players would be sufficient to conquer them.

‘Hmph. He probably thinks he can scare us and hand over the controller position to Louis. Sorry, but I won’t fall for such a cheap trick. I’ll be the one to claim the controller position!’

Count Raul must also be aware of the information about the controller. There was no way he would provide accurate information to a competitor like the Pioneer Alliance.

He was likely giving the opportunity to Louis Blake of the Purple Guild.

“All superhumans, except for those stationed at the Imperial border, will be deployed to the Demon God’s Temples. And after the subjugation, we will grant Sir Wang Qiang the collection rights to Zepheid Village.”

“Hahaha, leave it to me!”

Elated by the lucrative rewards, Wang Qiang pounded his chest and spoke boldly. And a few hours later. Wang Qiang and over a hundred superhumans from the Pioneer Alliance entered the Demon God’s Temple.

The alliance’s leadership had no doubt in their success.

*

Crunch.

The body of a demon with three large horns twisted in midair. Like a paper doll, the demon’s limbs twisted grotesquely, and then it shriveled like a deflated balloon, scattering black blood before vanishing.

Swoosh, shshshsh.

At Raul’s gesture, something translucent was quietly retrieved into his inventory.

‘Hmm. Easier than I thought.’

The demon he encountered in this temple was also one of the Demon Counts. Though he couldn’t determine its rank, the demon had a physical enhancement trait, making it relatively easy to handle.

In terms of swordsmanship and sheer power, Raul had completely overwhelmed the demon.

Swoosh.

The conquered temple transported Raul’s party outside before disappearing into the void.

‘Now, where to next… hmm?’

As Raul was about to decide their next destination, an urgent guild communication came in.

「Master, urgent news. The Pioneer Alliance’s assault team has failed to conquer the Demon God’s Temple. Survivors are minimal. Also, it seems the Alliance has sent a delegation to the Empire.」

“These lunatics!”

Raul cursed involuntarily. There was no need to ponder over the next destination any longer.

(To be continued)

TL’s Corner:
Stupid bitches.