Chapter 557

A planet with an A-rank World Tree.

The defences there were clearly on a different level compared to the frontier planets he had invaded before.

As Seong Jihan crossed through the portal.

Ziiing...

[Anomalous reaction detected]

[Energy reaction, 'Red']

[Energy reaction, 'Above highest Constellation']

[Special alert issued]

They detected the Red Administrator from the Vessel and instantly prepared defensive postures.

'It's definitely different from C and D-rank from the start.'

Fwooosh...!

As Seong Jihan thought this and landed on the ground.

[Emergency summoning of Blue Knights]

[Emergency summoning of Alliance Defense Corps]

Green portals were opening all around to counter the Red Administrator.

'Blue Knights being summoned already... I decided not to break swords if possible, so I should prevent the summoning itself.'

Seong Jihan pretended to avoid the Blue Knights with Yoon Seah's face for now.

To maintain this concept, he had to delay the confrontation with Blue Knights as much as possible.

Sssss...

Blue and Red rose behind him.

As he lightly grabbed his sword and swung it once.

Shiiing...!

The portals that had appeared all around were simultaneously split in half.

"How could so many portals be... with just one sword strike..."

"Q-quickly, proceed with re-summoning!"

The elves near the World Tree hurriedly tried to request reinforcements again, but,

As Blue and Red moved once more, even they were split in half and burned up.

With just two sword strikes, only the A-rank World Tree remained on this land.

'I'll absorb that later.'

A World Tree containing considerable life force, though not as much as Namsan's.

Carelessly absorbing it could cause Stat Red to exceed the proper value.

It would be better to raid the lab first and absorb the World Tree later.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan looked for the lab's location.

'Fortunately, this one is near the World Tree too.'

Perhaps the lab needed to be near the World Tree for power.

Similar to last time, the Alliance's lab was underground near the World Tree.

This way, he might be able to finish the job before reinforcements were dispatched again.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan descended to the lab.

'No need to look at other research samples.'

A lab conducting various biological experiments on multiple life forms.

But Seong Jihan's goal was just one thing.

Only Gilgamesh's fragment.

'It's not here.'

Seong Jihan briefly examined the lab entrance.

After determining there was nothing similar to Gilgamesh's fragment, he lightly flicked his finger.

Then,

Fwoooosh...!

The lab burst into flames all at once.

Seong Jihan expanded his senses to search for the fragment in earnest.

Then,

"W-what? The reinforcements were already annihilated? Then this face is useless..."

"When I looked at the external camera earlier, the Red Administrator cut all the portals."

"I see... Then there hasn't been a fight yet."

Voices of elves were heard from the deepest part of the research facility.

'Face?'

When they mention faces,

It was likely to be Yoon Seah's...

As Seong Jihan thought this and continued advancing,

"...Everyone, let's go out!"

"What will you do if the face doesn't work..."

"We'll die if we stay here anyway!"

With such words from inside, elf researchers rushed out in a group.

And as expected,

Dozens of researcher elves all had Yoon Seah's face.

"..."

Seeing this, the Red Administrator who was advancing while burning the lab momentarily paused.

"I-it's working?"

"Really... to think the Red Administrator would stop moving."

"A-according to the data we received, the owner of this face is the niece of the Blue Administrator."

"That's right. And we were told to speak in human language if possible. Let's see... uncle?"

"That's correct."

"Let's all shout together!"

The researcher elves, emboldened, appealed to the Red Administrator using awkward Korean.

Seong Jihan pondered deeply as "uncle, uncle" rang out from all around.

'...Should I just throw away the concept and everything?'

More than them having Yoon Seah's face,

He couldn't stand listening to that awkward Korean spoken by elves.

With just one flick of his finger, these mere High Elves would instantly burst into flames.

'But... I shouldn't give up so soon.'

Seong Jihan suppressed that impulse and extended his finger towards them.

Then,

Swoosh!

The ground where the elves were huddled together suddenly caved in.

"Aaaaah...!"

"Unc. uncle...!"

They all fell down below.

[Hmm, not killing them?]

'...For now.'

[Your patience is impressive.]

After clearing away those unsightly things like that, Seong Jihan resumed his search.

Even after reaching the inner part of the lab, Gilgamesh's fragment was nowhere to be seen.

'Is this a wasted trip?'

Seong Jihan thought there was nothing here, but

"I, I am king..."

The now familiar king's ramblings were heard from the innermost part of the lab.

'Oh.'

He quickly went towards the source of the sound.

On top of a large warp magic circle was

'Lips...'

A huge pair of lips that resembled human ones in shape.

'I should do a precise scan first.'

Ziiing...

A red laser beam shot out from Seong Jihan's sword.

[Stat Red consumes 10.]

It thoroughly analyzed those giant lips.

And soon,

[Fragment of Constellation 'Gilgamesh']

[Main material for 'Gift - Blue Vessel' creation project]

Although its appearance was different,

The same message as before appeared.

'I should absorb it right away.'

Currently, the Gift Blue Vessel was rank B.

It had the function of adding +30 to Stat Blue, exceeding 999.

If absorbing the lips raised the Gift rank to A, he should be able to raise Blue even more.

However,

'The quality of the fragment piece itself seems inferior to last time. Absorbing this probably won't raise the rank immediately.'

Perhaps because only the lips remained.

It didn't seem like absorbing that fragment would instantly raise the Gift rank vertically.

Still.

If he obtained a few more fragments like this, it should eventually rise to A.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan reached out his hand towards the lips.

Perhaps the magic circle quickly ignited because his hand was covered in red fire.

And that heat reached those giant lips.

"Ah, hot. Hot... C-could it be. Are you going to kill me?"

"..."

What an obvious question.

Seong Jihan didn't even think of replying and brought his hand closer, but,

"Hu, huhuhuung..."

Suddenly the lips made a crying sound and started drooling.

Ah, why was it suddenly being so gross.

'It's amazing that it can drool with only lips remaining.'

Bubble bubble...

Seeing the drool flowing from the mouth boil and turn to steam, Seong Jihan paused for a moment.

"S-save me! Please save me...!"

The giant lips begged for their life with a pitiful voice.

To think that Gilgamesh would grovel so pathetically, speaking politely to beg for his life.

'Even for a fragment, I can't get used to this... Ah, but did he have this attitude when begging me to spare him at the end too?'

Recalling when he annihilated Gilgamesh in the past while watching this struggle,

Seong Jihan tried to give him peace without wavering.

But,

"D-don't do this! I... that's right. Raise me and eat me!! You won't gain anything with just these lips, right?!"

The giant lips persistently spoke to survive.

And among what it said, there was something that caught Seong Jihan's attention.

[...Raise?]

Speaking as if he was the Red Administrator, Seong Jihan opened his mouth.

"V-vessel. I, I can be a vessel!"

[A vessel, you say.]

"R-right now I'm in this form but... if you raise me. I'll, I'll become more valuable. Worthy of containing things in the vessel!"

The giant lips kept saying they would become a vessel if raised.

Seong Jihan recalled the data from the earlier scan.

'Indeed, absorbing just this won't reach A rank.'

The giant lips were insufficient to grow the 'Blue Vessel' Gift to A rank.

If its value as a vessel would increase when raised as it claimed, would Gift upgrading become possible?

'It seems worth testing...'

Unlike the previous Gilgamesh fragment, this one seemed somewhat communicative.

That means it might be possible to obtain information from it.

'I should take it to the dead star.'

Seong Jihan decided to keep it alive for now and pulled back his hand.

Then,

Float...

The giant lips rose above the burning magic circle.

"C-could it be..."

[Your words have piqued my interest. Well then, prove your worth.]

"Ah... I-I'm alive!"

Drip. Drip.

The giant lips drooled again in joy at being alive.

Seong Jihan frowned at the sight.

'I should put it away quickly, this won't do.'

[Inventory.]

As he thought this and opened his inventory,

The lips hurriedly spoke up.

"Um. S-sorry! If I go into the inventory, I'll die..."

[You'll die?]

"Th-that's right... That's why the researchers sent me here specifically..."

If they could have sent it in an inventory, they wouldn't have bothered putting it on a warp magic circle, i\was that it?

What a troublesome thing.

[Can you ride a portal?]

"Th-that's possible!"

[Alright.]

Then he could go after absorbing the World Tree.

Seong Jihan went back up to the surface while keeping the giant lips floating.

Then,

"Red Administrator...!"

In front of the A-rank World Tree, one hundred Blue Knights with Yoon Seah's face were lined up.

And on both sides were High Elves and the legions they led.

Earlier he had cut the portals so reinforcements couldn't arrive immediately.

But since it took some time for Seong Jihan to find Gilgamesh's fragment in the lab, they had already firmly established a defensive posture.

'Ah, it's really Yoon Seah everywhere.'

The High Elves were wearing masks so they hadn't undergone plastic surgery yet, but

All the High Elves besides the Blue Knights had Yoon Seah's form.

And they were holding blue swords too, so to pretend 'Seong Jihan' was sealed,

He would have to approach and absorb the World Tree in one go like before.

However,

'The defenses are too solid to just quickly extract the World Tree. And,'

"Ah, hot. Hot... Um. If we fight here, I'll..."

Now he had to carry around this burden of Gilgamesh's fragment.

'There's nothing to gain by taking such a risk except for Red.'

This time, he should just take this as a trophy and leave.

Thinking this, Seong Jihan extended his hand.

Sssss...

A huge red portal appeared behind him.

"Uh, uh..."

"He's... running away?"

"Without attacking the World Tree?"

While the elves were surprised to see the Red Administrator giving up on absorbing the World Tree,

Sssss...

Seong Jihan entered the portal.

And the giant lips being dragged along,

"I-I'm alive...! You crazy elves...! Ptooey!"

Deliberately spat at the elves before entering the portal.

"W-what was that?"

"Who knows..."

"Nevermind. That's not what's important."

The commander at the forefront of the Blue Knights dismissed the giant lips incident as a mere happening,

His eyes sparkled.

"More importantly. This method... definitely works."

"That's right!"

"Everyone, investigate the damage to the planet."

"Yes sir!"

The elves dispersed at that order.

And soon,

They were able to find the elves that Seong Jihan had dropped into the underground pit.

"The researchers... were in the underground, unharmed."

"What?"

"According to the researchers, there wasn't a single casualty."

Hearing this, the commander stroked his face with a surprised expression.

"This really does work..."