Level 0 Master

In the waiting room, Rittier lamented over the situation.

"It's over now…"

"Yeah, it is over," said Sungjin while peacefully making tea next to him.

Everything happened as Sungjin had predicted.

"Omnibus Shield!"

If only the shiny golden shield didn't appear with a crystalline voice. This was the resolution of a girl who wanted to be a knight rather than a princess. Her slender body better suited for a dress was wearing armor instead. Her hands that looked like they were made for flowers were holding a weapon. The time she spent to become a ruler to protect everyone made up the layers on the shield she held and shone brightly.

The three knights lost their words in front of the goddess standing between them and Jenna.

Omnibus Shield—the ultimate skill of Princess Ereka.

The conditions to use the skill was not favorable to Ereka. She had to stand still between her own and enemy and return every single attack from the enemy by herself. But her sacrifice created an invincible shield to protect everyone within the radius.

Standing in front of Jenna, Ereka looked directly into the attacks of the three knights.

Melting magma chains, swirling hurricane swords, raining glacial spears—all of them were terrifying.

Every moment would be painful.

However…

If I can protect them. If I can protect the smiles of the people living here like my father did, then fire, ice, or wind won't matter.

I will not step back with fear. I will not retreat with pain. I will stand to protect the people I want to protect.

I am… the Omnibus Shield: Aegis.

The three knights were flustered.

"Why… the princess!!! But she returned!"

Sungjin grinned wickedly.

Because I made you guys think otherwise.

He knew Rittier was about to do something radical. Being hit by Rittier was a part of his plan, and Rittier's radical act made the enemy lower their guard just as he planned.

It was better to trick him.

Rittier wasn't a good actor who could let others kill him without making it awkward.

Having started with the upper hand, the three knights became even more arrogant with the belief of their victory, while the princess showed weakness in the situation. Then the wounded princess retreated behind the turret to use recall to return to her base. That was an ordinary plan that made the three knights read the situation as normal. Hiding and waiting was not a plan they could have thought of.

There was also a poor wizard next to the turret. There were three of them, so it was common sense to jump in and hunt her down. To take credit for the kill, they had to use their ultimates.

For a winning battle, they had to focus on their achievements more. If not, the others would snatch up all the credit.

So they all jumped in, just as Sungjin had predicted.

There is a word for this called a "dumb kill."

It was a word for players who wanted to kill more enemies than necessary in a winning game.

Even amateurs played games with a greed for honor. Naturally, this greed would be much higher in the world where your level meant your social status and power. It was easy to make them blind with greed.

It was a more refined process to trick team Virgo using Baron. Fooling the three knights was just a walk in the park.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Deception. By holding out advantages to the enemy, one can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord.

This was the same principle. It was just another adaptation for the situation and the opponent.

"Boring. Jenna, finish them."

This was the verdict for the three level 6 knights from a level 0 extra.

The fire and ice of their attacks went on a rampage, and Ereka found herself in the midst of hell. But standing behind her, protected by the golden blessing, Jenna was untouchable.

As if she heard Sungjin's order to finish them off, Jenna firmly stood on her feet. Heroic Power was overflowing from the three-layered magic squares under her feet.

She was controlling powerful thunderbolts. She was no longer a tiny wizard but a real magician.

"Mjolnir!"

The roar of thunder echoed in the sky, and lightning divided the air. Thor's burning hammer covered the sun, and the three knights' faces became ghastly pale.

Even if the spell contained the power of a shaman who signed a pact with Thor, this wizard was only level 4. In normal circumstances, such a tiny wizard would not be a concern to a level 6 knight.

Moreover, there were three of them.

But the situation was not exactly normal. They were all exhausted from just using their ultimates, and moreover, the turret kept attacking them, damaging them even more.

Bang!

The sound of thunder became a shock wave and shook the ground. Thor's hammer struck the ground and burned everything

This moment was a miracle, where a level 4 wizard could crush three level 6 knights. This was also a moment where the tyranny that had made the people of the kingdom suffer dissipated.

When Thor's hammer disappeared, there was not even a trace of the three knights left.

[Team Blue wins.] Only the announcement of Valkyrie was waiting for everyone.

"Huff. Huff…"

Totally wrecked and leaning on her spear, Ereka's face showed a smile.

"We…"

"We won my princess!"

Jenna leaped with joy and ran into Ereka. Jenna's knife tail was flapping with joy.

"Well done, Jenna."

Light from the sky surrounded them and dazzled about. Suddenly, their wounds were gone, and the anthem of honorous victory filled the air.

The Valkyrie wearing a helmet with wings came down to hand a Goblet of Glory to Ereka, actualizing her victory. Made of platinum and decorated with numerous precious stones, the goblet was shining with a bright radiance. Inside the goblet, there was the nectar of the gods made from the water drawn from Mimir's Well.

"Ereka. To acknowledge your achievement on the battlefield, God has bestowed upon you this goblet. This shall become your flesh and blood. Finish this drink to awaken new strength inside of you."

"Thank you."

For a moment, Ereka's emotions unleashed themselves as she held the goblet in front of her. She really made it.

Sungjin…

He led everyone here. He saved all of us. As soon as she got his letter, she followed his direction. Everything went as he had planned.

Every time she tried to remember his direction, she felt like she heard his voice saying, "I will make you win," as if he were right next to her. That kept her going.

Physically, he was in the waiting room, but he was beside her and led her each step of the way to victory.

The person who deserves this goblet is… Sungjin…

She felt bad that she couldn't hand it to him.

I don't know how to thank him enough…

He was a real savior.

I should get back to the waiting room as soon as possible to thank him.

Ereka had a sip of the drink in the goblet. Her body was filled with energy and every cell throbbed.

The Valkyrie handed another goblet to Jenna.

"Jenna. Thinking highly of your achievements on the battlefield, where you defeated all three knights, God has bestowed upon you this goblet. This shall become your flesh and blood. Finish this drink to awaken new strength inside of you."

"Oh my god. This one is full!"

Her tail started to swing. When she finished her drink, there was a spark all throughout her body and her hammer.

[Your level has been upgraded from level 4 to level 5.

The skill Thunder Ground Power has gone from rank 1 to rank 2.

Increased radius of Thunder Ground Power skill.

Increased damage of Thunder Ground Power skill.

Effect of slowing down enemies within Thunder Ground Power's radius has been added.

Attack power increased by 1 point.

Magic power increased by 10 points.

Defense power increased by 1 point.

Resistance power increased by 2 points.

Movement speed has no change.]

"Wow, I became stronger! Now I'm level 5 just like you, Grandpa!"

"Yes. That's great," Rittier responded.

[And lastly, I grant you the registration of the territory that was staked during this battle of life and death. All the extras in this territory and all their goods belong to you. You can also exile unwanted heroes from other forces.]

A crest of the castle and its territories appeared on Ereka's arm. The crest, a shield surrounded by wings, shone briefly and then disappeared. It became invisible until her nomination as lord, and now the land was under her rule again.

Father, I took over the castle. Everything… is thanks to him.

It was an impeccable victory.

[I wish you an even better fight for your next battle. The Eyes of God are upon you.]

A bright light covered their sight.

There was a celebration of victory in the waiting room as well. Rittier was holding the goblet handed to him by the Valkyrie.

"Drink it. It will give you strength."

"But… this victory is all because of you, an extra… no, you… no, Sir… this was your work. I don't deserve this."

Sungjin laughed out loud, listening to Rittier promote his title in one sentence.

"Hahaha. Just drink it. Anyways, you can't give it to someone else, and to win against the Blood Ruler, we need your power."

"Okay, I will drink it, and in the next battle, I will serve you, Sir. I sincerely apologize for today's rudeness."

Rittier bowed to Sungjin before he drank it up.

Ereka and Jenna appeared in the room as soon as the Valkyrie took the empty goblet and disappeared.

"Sungjin Oppa! We made it!"

Jenna ran into Sungjin.

"Haha, I was watching."

"Hehehe. Don't you think I did well? Pet me!"

Just like a dog who just performed a trick, Jenna's knife tail fluttered about.

"Just like you planned, I led the two of them towards the princess. Hehehe, I was acting like I was scared, screaming and shivering, and they bought it."

"Yeah, you deserve an Oscar. Well done."

Sungjin lightly pet her head as she had requested. Her soft hair felt like that of a fluffy puppy.

"Hehe. I'm a level 4, no, now, I'm a level 5 wizard! Not a kid!"

"I know, I know. You played a great role in today's victory."

"But still, you are the best! When I was left alone with the princess, I thought it was the end. I never thought we could win like that! You are the best!"

Chattering with joy, Jenna thought to herself, He saw that I was acting and used it in the battle right away. He is amazing.

Since Jenna was a kid, it was not easy for her to protect the princess. So she wanted to turn the tables by pretending to be a baby to throw them off their guard.

She didn't have a thorough plan, and she didn't know that Sungjin would use that as a winning tactic.

Sungjin really protected all of us and the princess. Okay. I approve of your abilities.

Ereka stared at Sungjin patting Jenna softly.

Jenna…

She envied Jenna a little because she was too shy to ask Sungjin to hug her. Jenna, on the other hand, was being a kid and jumped right into Sungjin's arms. She wanted to jump into his arms…

What am I thinking?

She shook her head right away.

But I understand Jenna. Sungjin is really charming to me as well.

Usually, heroes showed a servile attitude while exercising authority in front of lower levels, and they abused the extras. But Sungjin left all his power in his world and came in as level 0, but he was dignified in front of the strong while he was sweet to the weak.

And with his sweetness, he saved everyone, including her. He defeated the three knights.

She felt sorry that she doubted his abilities while they were in a disadvantageous situation, even though she tried her best to trust his tactics. She was disgusted by him when she thought of Sungjin being just a bloodthirsty devil, but now she saw his true colors…

Ah…

Her heart started beating rapidly. He was a real light, a savior who didn't ask for rewards but simply asked for her to support him in the next battle.

He was a real hero from a fairy tale. There were so many hero-leveled men, but he was the first one who really deserved it.

I need to thank him. What should I tell him? How can I put this emotion into words?

She wanted to jump into his arm, just like Jenna, and kiss him to thank him, but…

I need to keep my dignity and thank you with grace. Ah… there's one more thing before that.

Ereka looked at Rittier with anger.

"Sir Rittier, do you know what you have done?"

Rittier kneeled.

"I deserve more than a hundred deaths for my wrongdoings. I didn't have the insight to look through the ability of the intelligence you brought and did a stupid thing that put you in danger and almost ruined the battle. I will take any punishment from you."

"Sungjin will decide."

Ereka placed her hand on her chest and lightly bowed to show her respect. Her elegant smile and graceful movements were beautiful, even in armor.

"Sungjin. With your amazing plan, you saved me and all of us. I sincerely thank you, and as a princess of this kingdom, from the bottom of my heart…"

"Drop the formalities."

"I can't. If I don't show our gratefulness with proper respect, I can't be a role model for the people."

"Haha, okay. It is your kingdom, so I will follow your rules."

"I will never forget our gratefulness. Today, we are still in a war, so I can't appreciate your help properly, but after we defeat the Blood Ruler, I promise I will reward you properly and have the people remember your service for generations."

The princess thanked him with sincerity in her every word.

"Hmmm, well… okay."

This was a bit over the top for Sungjin's tastes, but he felt the sincerity in her words and smiled.

"And do as your wish to Rittier who attacked and imprisoned you. His action is considered treason against our alliance and disobedience of the military law."

"Hehe… really?"

"I will not dare to stop you, because it was my kingdom's fault. But…"

"But?"

Princess Ereka dropped her head and lowered her voice.

"He has made many contributions from the former generation and kept his loyalty in the time of difficulty. Also, his level has reached 5… If it is possible, I would like to ask you to give him a chance to repay his wrongdoings in the next battle rather than cutting his head off today."

She was angry at Rittier for Sungjin, but Rittier was like her grandfather, her guardian who kept her going after her father passed away.

As a rightful ruler, she was not going to stop what Sungjin wanted to do, but asking him for a chance of mercy was only human.

"Don't worry. I won't be angry at the old man because he was just stubborn and made a minor mistake."

"It was not a minor mistake."

"I managed it easily, so it was a minor mistake. And he already apologized. It's okay as long as he doesn't make the same mistake again."

"Sir Rittier, did you apologize?"

"Yes, Your Highness. And I made an oath to serve him after you if he could save you."

"Then you won't question his status again?"

"Of course, I won't."

"Okay."

Ereka turned her head towards Sungjin and smiled brightly

"Thank you, Sungjin."

She was beautiful when she smiled gracefully as a princess. But her girly smile after dropping all her worries was even brighter, and that made Sungjin smile with her.

Humm. Not bad.

If he won this game as a pro gamer, the audience would have cheered for him, but her smile was worth it.

"Wow. Now you guys have made up? That's great! Hehe."

Jenna flapped her tail sword with happiness.

The stubborn old man can chill out a bit.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes."

Sungjin led the way, and Ereka, Jenna and Rittier followed him. Regardless of who was on the battlefield, this showed who the real leader was here.

As soon as they stepped out, numerous people flocked and surrounded them. They were the ragged and haggard rabbles of the extra class.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

"I'm glad to see you all."

With her smile, people bowed.

"You've returned."

"Yes. I've returned."

They were not orchestrated people for a parade; they were just people who were starved and suffered in waiting for her.

"I know the hardships you have been through."

"Your Highness… my daughter was…"

"My baby as well…"

They couldn't even finish their words, but Ereka understood what they wanted to say. She understood the hardships they had endured under the tyranny of the Blood Ruler.

"I'm sorry I was not able to return earlier."

"What are you talking about. We are happy that you have returned at all."

"Okay. I will protect you from now on."

Ereka closed her hand tightly.

"Oh, yes, I know you are starving. Sir Rittier. Open castle warehouse one and two right now. Start distributing the grain the Blood Ruler collected."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Reopen the clinic for those who are unwell and use the east side of the castle for them. If you need more space, report that to me."

"I will follow your orders right away."

"And take care of those young, old, and disabled who have lost their caregivers, and the prisoners… No. I will take care of that by myself."

People dropped to their knees in tears listening to the continuous orders of the princess.

The ruler that they had been waiting for was finally back.