Translator: Dreamscribe

Romance Domain was a place all Heroes had to visit as they crossed Hanu’s Sea to enter the Empire of Evil. Right in front of the Romance Domain was an underground labyrinth, and it was connected to all the Heroes’ Domains, making it the perfect spot for novice Heroes to enjoy various content.

Among all the Heroes’ Domains, it was the most prosperous, and thanks to Haebyul’s active investment, it was filled with beautiful buildings. In the large oasis, there were many rare fish, and outside the city stretched rows of expensive orchards. Moreover, being adjacent to Hanu’s Sea, not only was the fishery industry thriving, but commerce was also booming.

There were even talks that it might become the second Marogo.

If the Domain grew a little more, Haebyul might become the first among the Heroes to be appointed as a Count. But that very Romance Domain suffered near-total destruction in less than an hour.

The Princess of Erosion, the Daughter of Greed, appeared in the Romance Domain and swept through everything. Fortunately, there were no casualties among the Arsilan people, but Leon sustained a serious injury. The Empress, too, seemed to have overexerted herself, and her condition was poor.

The tragedy didn’t stop there.

Title: We’re screwed.

According to Haebyul nim, fortunately, all paid items were recovered.

We could probably reinstall everything once we sort things out, but right now, that’s not even possible.

The underground labyrinth has completely changed.

(Attached photo: The underground labyrinth spewing out Erosion)

Right now, the entire Romance Domain is filled with monsters.

The Domain has been swallowed by Erosion, so Domain permissions aren’t functioning. And it’s not just here, two other underground labyrinths are in the same state! Thankfully, Leon nim seems to be okay.

There’s supposed to be a countermeasure meeting today at the Empress’s Domain.

Anonymous1 (KR): I heard HohoGamMan nim’s Domain got hit too?

Anonymous2 (US): All Domains close to the western side have been wiped out.

Goldsilver: Damn, my ship is gone. That fucking bitch…

Anonymous3 (KR): But why did she just leave? Was that teabagging?

└Anonymous4 (JP): Maybe she just came to mock us? This is humiliating.

└HohoGamMan (Author): I think even the humiliation is fine.

└Anonymous5 (KR): You’re still crazy, I see.

The Princess of Erosion swept through all the Heroes’ Domains located close to the western side. It felt like she was venting her anger. Then she vanished into the Ashen Swamp.

It was the first devastating defeat since Episode 1.

The crisis had only just begun.

The expressions of the Heroes gathered in the Empress’s Domain were grave.

“According to what I saw on the airship, the monsters that came out of the underground labyrinth are advancing this way.”

“Is she planning to wipe out everything?”

“The situation has flipped completely.”

The monsters pouring out of the underground labyrinth were swarming eastward in groups. There were already Domains that had been completely destroyed after being surrounded by the monsters.

“Aaaaaaah! Our Domain….”

“Erosion, you fucking bitch!”

“Sniff sniff! My rice, my rice…! And rice prices have gone up lately! Why now of all times!”

“This is sacrilege!”

The Domain of the Farming Alliance, led by ForRiceMoney, was also about to harvest. The golden waves rippling across the vast plains were a sight to behold. Thanks to the fertile land, the rice grains were incredibly large.

To them, it looked as if the fields were brimming with Arsilan Gold! But the moment the Princess of Erosion appeared, bugs infested the rice, and it all withered.

“Grrrr! I’ll kill her.”

“Aaaaah! I’ll kill her!”

“Let’s take revenge!”

ForRiceMoney and the Heroes of the Farming Alliance tied bands around their heads and picked up their farming tools. Their tools, enhanced up to +8, radiated powerful magic. Just swinging them could uproot trees or pulverize rocks.

Thus, hatred boiled in the hearts of all Heroes.

Heroes consumed by hatred and fury began gathering at the Empress’s Domain.

The named Heroes assembled at the Empress’s castle and entered a strategy meeting. Heina, the knights, and Jinwoo, who appeared in the form of Leon, were present as well. The named Heroes streamed the meeting so that all Heroes could follow the discussion.

The Empress seemed deep in thought and unable to focus on the meeting. Realizing everyone’s eyes were on her, she shook her head and returned her attention to the meeting.

“My apologies.”

“It’s alright. Is something bothering you?”

“…More importantly, are you alright?”

Jinwoo’s complexion was pale.

His shoulder and entire right arm were wrapped in bandages, and he couldn’t move his hand properly. Though the worsening had been stopped, the sacred techniques were ineffective due to the energy of Erosion.

That was the setup!

That was what had been told to the Heroes as well.

At the Empress’s question, the Heroes all looked at Jinwoo with eyes full of concern.

Jinwoo gave a faint smile and nodded.

“I’ve almost fully recovered. More importantly, our royal court mage has discovered something.”

To anyone, it looked like he was pushing himself too hard.

As Jinwoo turned his head, a mage in robes appeared via teleportation.

It was a Magic Developer from the Magic Tower.

Just like Tiris, this Magic Developer was making their first debut and nervously gulped.

“Wow, I’m the royal ma-mage. Mamong. Cough. Ahem!”

Each of the Magic Developers was a mage with tremendous talent. The mages of the Magic Tower had enough potential to become Archmages. However, they had no talent outside of magic. The Magic Developer, ranked just below Tiris, was drenched in cold sweat.

The acting was painfully awkward, but luckily, given the situation, it actually helped build tension. When Mamong met eyes with Jinwoo, he flinched and continued his line.

“Th-these are the r-results observed from the airship.”

The royal mage Mamong used magic to project an image.

“The energy of Erosion flowing out from the three underground labyrinths is heading toward the capital of the Empire. If you look at these figures and wavelengths, you can see they are resonating with each other.”

Alongside images of the underground labyrinths, various numerical data appeared. As soon as the conversation shifted to magic, Mamong regained his composure.

“We assume that the energy of Erosion, amplified and refined at the capital, is being directed toward that entity called the Princess of Erosion. You can think of it as all the energy capable of starting a great war being condensed into a single being.”

The Heroes nodded at Mamong’s explanation. In simple terms, it meant she was ‘invincible’.

The Empress looked at the image, then turned her gaze to Mamong.

“So you’re saying that if we sever the connection between the Princess of Erosion and the underground labyrinths, we have a chance.”

“Yes, she should weaken to a level we can face.”

-Oh, that’s right.

-Ah! So this was the gimmick.

-The underground labyrinths weren’t there for nothing.

-Wow! Now we’re getting a proper strategy!

The Heroes watching the meeting via broadcast got excited as a real strategy finally emerged.

“I, too, was bound by the underground labyrinth. When the Dark Priest died, I was freed from the mental domination.”

“Ah! Then if we conquer all three underground labyrinths, will that affect the Princess of Erosion too?”

At the Empress’s words, Haebyul asked that question.

Mamong checked several readings before replying.

“If she’s a being born from the Lord of Greed, there likely won’t be any significant effect. She probably doesn’t require things like mental domination.”

“I see.”

Conquering the underground labyrinths would reveal her true identity.

The Empress’s mind, which had seemed troubled by many thoughts, now looked settled thanks to Mamong’s answer.

“In that case…”

As Jinwoo opened his mouth, everyone turned to him.

“We must conquer all three underground labyrinths and the Princess of Erosion at the same time.”

“Indeed. The main force must somehow tie down the Princess of Erosion, and in that window, the labyrinths must be cleared.”

“This will be the largest-scale operation ever. We’ll have to mobilize everything we can.”

The largest-scale operation in history!

The Heroes in the meeting room shuddered from head to toe. The same went for all the Heroes watching via the broadcast.

[Arsilan] Princess of Erosion

‘Heroes! Gather now! Once again, the fate of Arsilan rests in your hands!’

The miraculous march across Hanu’s Sea to reclaim former lands had been shattered by the Princess of Erosion.

The Princess of Erosion held the power to start a great war on her own. In the face of her overwhelming power, perhaps even Hanu’s Sea would vanish, and all would be trapped within the magic barrier.

However, hope still remains.

Conquer the three underground labyrinths to defeat the Princess of Erosion.

Reward: The path to the capital???

Participants: Unlimited

Eligibility: All Heroes may participate

A quest window appeared before every Hero.

-Wooooaaaaahhhh!

-This is what a game’s supposed to be! No, this is real!

-Insane! A large-scale operation!

-Everyone gather! Right now!

The Heroes’ reactions were explosive.

What could be the operation to determine the ending of Episode 3, was now about to begin!

* * *

All Heroes who could cross the Magic Barrier had begun to move!

The gathering point was the Empress’s Domain. Heroes already in the Empire of Evil either used the Hero’s Flower to teleport or rode mounts to head toward the Empress’s Domain.

“Wow! Is this really free?”

“Yes! Get on quickly! We’ve got a long way to go!”

“But… will we make it in time?”

“The Merfolk are helping us. We’ll get there four times faster than usual.”

Heroes who had just come out beyond the Magic Barrier moved to the Empress’s Domain via ships docked at the port. Merfolk appeared atop Hanu’s Sea, surrounding the ships and dramatically increasing their speed.

The Helby Lovers Group built a massive structure at the port together with the Dwarves. It was shaped like a giant box capable of holding many people, but it didn’t look like a ship or an airship.

Heroes who had just moved past the newbie stage approached it instead of boarding a ship.

“What is this?”

“You’re headed to the Empire of Evil too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then hop on for now.”

He tilted his head in confusion but stepped inside.

The Helby Lovers Group ushered the Heroes who had passed the Magic Barrier into the structure. Possibly due to space magic, the interior was much larger than it appeared from outside, and it was built with four full levels. It even had windows to look out from.

“What could this be?”

“Yeah, right? Ah! Missed the ship.”

“Hmm…, let’s just stay here for now and catch a ship later.”

That’s when it happened.

Someone was approaching from outside the window.

“Huh? Is that Helby nim?”

“It’s Helby nim!”

“Oooooh!”

Helby, having emerged beyond the Magic Barrier, walked toward the structure. As starlight wrapped around her, she transformed into a dragon. When her massive wings spread out, Hanu’s Sea surged violently. Helby grabbed the structure with her feet and soared into the sky.

“W-Waaaah!”

“Kyah!”

“W-We’re flying!”

“She’s so fast!”

The structure soared to great heights and began speeding across Hanu’s Sea at an incredible pace. Helby gave a small smile at the Heroes’ cheers and sped up even more.

And so, a huge number of Heroes gathered at the Empress’s Domain. There were so many that the entire Domain had to be used as the assembly area.

The Heroes were divided into the main force, which would restrain and face off against the Princess of Erosion, and the assault teams that would conquer the underground labyrinths.

The underground labyrinth in the Romance Domain was assigned to the Helby Lovers Group and relatively lower-level Heroes. The northern labyrinth was assigned to NorthernGrandDuke, and the southern one to LifeHunter and his assault team.

“I’ll provide support from above the sea. I can’t get too close to the Erosion, but I can offer support from the ocean.”

Helby said this and joined the Helby Lovers Group.

Heina and the knights of the Sillion Kingdom were set to support the Heroes from the rear.

Jinwoo and the Empress led the main force. Haebyul, the Romance Heroes, and many others who had crossed over to the Empire of Evil joined the main force as well.

“I shall share my power with you.”

The Empress distributed some of the troops she summoned with dark power to the assault teams.

The operation was simple.

1. Ride the Helby Lovers Group’s airship-like structure to a city far from the underground labyrinth and engage in battle with the captured mobs.

2. The advance party teleports using the Flower of Vengeance and invades the city, drawing out the Princess of Erosion. Once she appears, the entire main force moves at once.

3. While the main force holds out as best they can, the assault teams conquer the underground labyrinths. When the Princess of Erosion weakens, they strike with full power to eliminate her.

Jinwoo also joined the Legion of Vengeance.

The armor he wore turned black, and even the Holy Sword changed slightly in form. Its golden hilt now had black engravings etched into it. However, the radiance was even more powerful than before.

“Oh, ooooh!”

“Wow, it’s Black Knight Leon nim!”

“This is our prince!”

Black Knight version Leon had arrived!

As expected, the reaction from the Heroes was intense.

Jinwoo calmed the charged atmosphere and began preparations for the sortie. When a signal came from the Helby Lovers Group, the advance-party Heroes moved out first. As they neared the city, just as expected, the Ashen Swamp appeared, and with it, the Princess of Erosion emerged.

At the same time, both the main force and the assault teams began the operation.

Fweeeeeet!

The main force arrived in front of the city via the Flower of Vengeance. The Princess of Erosion, Mary, looked at the suddenly appearing massive army and lightly raised her single-edged sword.

She showed no sign of panic.

With a murky violet gleam in her eyes, she only stared at them like they were disgusting insects.

The Heroes brought up the broadcasting screen from the News Bureau in their info windows to monitor the assault teams’ progress.

Jinwoo raised the Holy Sword and let out a deep breath.

“From this moment on, it’s a battle against time. We must hold the Princess of Erosion here until the underground labyrinths are cleared.”

There was no one else in front of the city.

Only Mary stood there. And yet, her presence alone was enough to dominate the entire area. It was overwhelming, like staring into the Gate of Erosion.

“For Arsilan!”

“For vengeance!”

“Hold the line!”

Jinwoo and the Heroes charged toward Mary. The Empress and the Legion of Vengeance followed right after. As they neared Mary, they scattered in all directions, aiming to disorient her focus.

Swoosh!

Mary swung her sword.

The slash that split the ground was blocked by Jinwoo’s Holy Sword. The Erosion that came into contact with the light exploded and swept across the area. Thousands of Heroes died in an instant, but Jinwoo released the light of the Holy Sword.

[Ella’s blessing dwells in the holy sword.]

*As long as Leon maintains the light of the Holy Sword, Heroes can immediately resurrect.

The resurrected Heroes once again drew Mary’s attention and launched a barrage of attacks.

Mary turned her head eastward.

She seemed to have noticed the movement of the Heroes advancing toward the underground labyrinths. As Mary showed signs of moving in that direction, Jinwoo and the Empress leapt at her simultaneously.

“Clerics, cast sacred techniques!”

The clerics unleashed sacred techniques and poured them onto Mary.

“Prepare restraint magic!”

The mages all cast mid-tier restraint spells in unison.

Just as Mary was about to vanish into the Ashen Swamp, her body stopped. Light and darkness struck her, and she was pushed out from the swamp and forced to stand once again on solid ground.

“Hold her down with your bodies!”

“Let’s go!”

Tanks and damage dealers rushed in like a swarm of ants and held Mary down.

Slice-slice-slice!

When Mary swung her sword, all nearby Heroes were cut into dozens of pieces and turned to dust. Haebyul and the titled Heroes summoned their summoned beasts.

“Stop her from moving!”

“Hold the line!”

The Legion of Vengeance continued charging toward Mary without pause.

The main force obstructed Mary’s movements and took her attacks head-on.

“We’ll block her!”

“Please restrain her!”

“Ugh!?”

The Heroes became living shields.

The Empress advanced toward Mary using the bodies of the Heroes as barriers. Jinwoo followed behind her, deflecting all incoming Erosion.

[In the Eastern underground labyrinth, the guardian dragon’s breath has been unleashed! It’s spreading overwhelming power over Hanu’s Sea! Oh! The Heroes who entered the underground labyrinth have reportedly found something resembling a heart!]

The Heroes heard the news broadcast from the News Bureau.

The power of the underground labyrinth in front of the Romance Domain was weakening. Sensing this, Mary’s movements briefly stopped.

An opening appeared in Mary’s defenses.

The Heroes noticed the gap and unleashed every skill and spell they had. The combined assault of countless Heroes struck with such force that the very shape of the earth changed.

[The heart has been destroyed! Repeating the announcement! The Eastern underground labyrinth has been successfully cleared!]

At that moment, Jinwoo extended the Holy Sword to the side, and the Empress leapt onto it.

“Hrrrrmph!”

Jinwoo hurled the Empress forward with all his might. Her body pierced through the sound barrier with ease, shooting toward Mary like a bullet.

Mary raised her sword, but her movements were noticeably slower than before. Just before the Empress’s scythe reached Mary’s chest, Mary twisted her body and dodged to the side.

The Empress’s body grazed past Mary and fell to the ground. Although Mary avoided a fatal blow, the armor on her chest and her helmet split apart.

Slash! Clang!

Mary’s helmet shattered, revealing her face.

Landing on the ground, the Empress turned her body to face Mary. From her position, she could see Mary’s back.

A heavy silence fell.

The countless Heroes who had been attacking all stopped at once. Shock filled every face.

“N-no way….”

“This can’t be!”

“W-what? Why…?”

The Heroes were completely stunned.

As the ash-gray hair settled, Mary slowly turned her head to look at the Empress.

Clang!

The moment she saw Mary’s face, the Empress dropped the scythe from her hand.

A nightmare.

That wretched nightmare had appeared before the Empress once again.

And this time, it felt like a nightmare she would never be able to withstand.