SSS-Rank Overlord: Defend the Dungeon or Die-Chapter 204: Episode

"You know that plant, Parasite? It’s a useful magical ingredient, but as it turns out, it’s also fatal to humans. So I used my status to procure some. It was quite easy, using the Mage Tower."

"I slowly mixed it into his food. Oh, and his drinking water, too. Who would ever suspect the crown prince of tampering with his own father’s meals?"

"It was so much fun. Watching him die as his illness worsened day by day. I felt a thrill every time I saw his face. "Ah, an experience like that truly only happens once in a lifetime."

The hidden truth began to spill out. The man, intoxicated by his own cruelty, laughed with delight. Leon was already mad. No, he was fundamentally insane.

"Do I still look like Leon van Noah to you? Is that really what you think?" the madman sneered. Taehyun’s mind was in chaos, trapped in the suffocating grip of his madness.

"Right. At the funeral," Leon continued, his voice dripping with glee. "The commoners swarmed in, wailing their eyes out. As if he were their own family. It was hilarious. While those ant-like peasants were screaming in despair, I was laughing my head off."

"I holed myself up in the detached palace my ‘father’ gifted me during the funeral. And those ignorant retainers? They all misunderstood. They thought I was in shock over that bastard Leopard’s death. In reality, I was overjoyed."

"The reason I summoned you? It’s simple. I’m thinking of starting a war. And as it happens, Balak is perfectly situated in the West. It would be a waste not to use it, wouldn’t it? So I called you. Count Dinen, the nobles... none of them matter. I never cared about them in the first place."

Taehyun’s consciousness began to blur. Was it the heat of the bath or the madman’s ravings? He couldn’t tell. He was simply caught in the vortex of insanity, his mind slipping away.

"What was your world like?" Leon asked, his voice suddenly soft. "It must have been safer, more peaceful, and happier than the one I lived in. Right?"

With those final words, Taehyun lost consciousness.

---

[The effect of Voice of Madness has been lifted.]

[Consciousness has been restored.]

When he opened his eyes, he was back in his room. Leon was gone, and the skill that had ensnared him had dissipated. Taehyun grabbed his throbbing head and sat up.

"Taehyun!"

Songyi threw herself into his arms. Narae stood nearby, her eyes filled with worry.

"Y-you scared me! I was so surprised when they said the pervert who peeked into the women’s bath had collapsed!"

He fell silent.

"So what happened? It was a good thing the maids found you. If you had just stayed collapsed like that, something terrible could have happened."

He remembered everything. Meeting Leon in the bath, the shocking truths he had revealed, the question about the modern world. Leon was no ordinary NPC. He had even used a skill that inflicted mental damage. If he had wanted to, Taehyun could have died right there.

"...It’s nothing. Probably just a dizzy spell. Don’t worry."

"Wh-who said I was worried about you!"

"Let’s just get some sleep. We have to attend the succession ceremony tomorrow."

Taehyun spent the night burying the truth about Leon deep inside.

---

On the day of the succession, the coronation ceremony was held in the Sahadin Temple. There, Leon would receive the crown and officially ascend to the throne. Even more foreign dignitaries had gathered than for the banquet, with Criobel and Neppers from the Holy Kingdom drawing the most attention. The presence of the Inquisitor-General and the High Priest of Vehel was a clear endorsement of Leon, eliciting mixed reactions from the Aneis nobility.

-Announcing the arrival of His Highness Leon van Noah!

At last, Leon appeared. He was about to become the man who would lead the Aneis Kingdom. Count Dinen’s faction bristled at the sight of the two figures flanking him: the superhumans who had returned after receiving the oracle. Though Dinen had brought his own Raiders to the temple, he couldn’t act rashly.

"What? Is it just going to end like this without him even approaching us?" Narae whispered, confused. "Then why did he call us here in the first place?"

"...This is strange," Songyi agreed.

Leon was already seated on the throne, waiting for the magistrate. If the ceremony concluded without incident, their entire trip would have been pointless.

Taehyun alone remained tense, his eyes fixed on Leon.

’There are four things I’m certain of now.’

’First, Leon poisoned his own father.’

’Second, Leon has skills.’

’Third, Leon knows about the modern world.’

’Fourth, Leon is completely and utterly insane.’

’That bastard is no simple NPC. Knowing about the modern world puts him outside that category entirely. What the hell is he? How did a royal who’s been cooped up in the capital his whole life learn skills?’

He could be a new type of entity, something beyond a Player or a Dungeon Master, but that felt like too much of a leap. Besides, this was Leon van Noah, who had never left the capital. Even if he had undergone some kind of awakening, it wouldn’t explain his knowledge of another world. Taehyun briefly thought of the Duke of Peyton but dismissed it.

’No, Junhyun’s case was unique. Most Players hide their identities and use aliases. There’s no one else like that in the West.’ The possibility of Leon learning about the modern world from a Player was nonexistent.

-Announcing the arrival of Magistrate Pom Navian!

As the crown was about to be presented, Taehyun snapped back to attention, his gaze shifting to the temple entrance.

And then, the unexpected happened.

"Wh-what is that!"

"Why is Magistrate Pom Navian in that state!"

"Aaaah!"

Magistrate Pom Navian was dragged forward in Yuda’s grip, his body a mangled wreck, dripping blood onto the sacred floor.

Count Dinen shot to his feet, his voice thundering through the temple. "What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?!"

"It is not ‘Your Highness,’" Leon replied coolly as Duke Centrix placed the crown upon his head. "From now on, you will call me ‘Your Majesty.’"

He rose from the throne, a king. "Now that I have inherited the throne, it is only right that you call me ‘Your Majesty,’ is it not, Count Dinen?"

"Ggrrr... Your Majesty," Dinen ground out through clenched teeth. "Would you please explain to this humble servant what has happened to Magistrate Pom Navian?"

"Ah, that man," Leon said with a dismissive wave. "To put it simply, he insulted me. A proper investigation revealed he’d been embezzling a fair amount from the kingdom’s finances. On top of that, he committed the crime of leaking confidential royal matters. If you were in my shoes, could you forgive him?"

"YOUR MAJESTYYYYYYY!" the count roared, his fury shaking the very stones of the temple.

The new king simply smiled, not flinching in the slightest.

"I am about to begin a... tidying up, of sorts," Leon announced. "It may take some time, but I assure you the process will be entertaining. My first order of business is to purge the factions that conspired with Regent Pom Navian to destabilize the royal family. Of course, I trust there are no such traitors within our kingdom. Am I wrong?"

"Do you truly intend to walk the path of a tyrant?" Count Dinen roared.

Five Raiders materialized before the count. Along with the others swarming into the temple, they formed a formidable force. However, with a single gesture from Leon, two transcendent beings unleashed their power.

[Crowell Davidochi’s Presence Suppression has been cast.]

[Centrix Knights’ Lord’s Advent has been cast.]

Instantly, Raiders throughout the temple began to collapse. Only the first five managed to remain standing. Even Count Dinen began to struggle for breath, but Leon remained perfectly at ease on his throne.

"It is a royal decree. Defy me, and you will meet a gruesome end. Arthur... no. Yuda, drag that man here."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Thick, viscous blood began to stain the floor. Yuda forced Pom Navian to his knees before Leon.

"Now. Do you acknowledge my succession to the throne, Regent Pom Navian?"

"...I... I ack... Acknowledge it, Your Highness."

"Hmph. Good. Did you all hear that? With this, I conclude the royal succession ceremony."

Leon rose from his seat and drew his sword. The nobles in the temple cried out in horror as they watched the scene unfold.

With a sickening slicing sound, Pom Navian’s head rolled onto the floor. Wiping the blood from his blade, Leon addressed the two men from the Holy Kingdom.

"What an unsightly mess. What say you? Will you deliver this man’s head to His Holiness the Pope?"

"You beast! How dare you?" Kriobel spat.

Nephus grabbed Kriobel’s arm to stop him and stepped forward. He gave a slight bow and spoke. "I understand your intentions perfectly, Your Highness. I will reflect on this and convey your will to His Holiness. I pray for your prosperity."

"Hmm. You’re not taking this with you?"

"It belongs to the Anais Kingdom, so we cannot take it lightly. Please keep it safe."

"A shame." Leon tossed Pom Navian’s head behind him. A hollow end for the man who had been regent of a nation.

Nephus immediately led Kriobel out of the temple. He shot a brief glare at Taehyun’s party on his way out before turning back toward the Holy Kingdom. And so, Leon’s royal succession ceremony ended, leaving all the nobles in a state of profound shock.

---

Deep rumbles echoed as the volcano, which had been quiet of late, began to erupt again. It was a bit earlier than expected, but that didn’t matter.

[SS-rank Named Guardian Teivolk has begun absorbing lava.]

[Teivolk’s magic power is rising.]

After all, Teivolk himself was increasing his magic power by consuming the lava. It was no exaggeration to say that all the active volcanoes in the Land of Death served as a personal fuel source for this very guardian.

[Teivolk’s Magic Power: 2,543,941/2,543,941]

His magic power had already surpassed one million. For Chahee Baek, the Dungeon Master of Dios, it was a deeply satisfying sight.

"Grow big and strong for me, my baby."

"At this rate, he should be able to break ten million magic power in a short time, Lady Chahee," the blue-furred fox at her side—Gavn, the supporter of Dios—reported.

Chahee nodded and turned her attention to another screen. An SS-rank familiar she had sent to the Anais Kingdom was broadcasting the royal succession ceremony live.

"Mm-hmm. Good," Leon’s voice echoed from the screen. "Did you all hear that? With this, I conclude the royal succession ceremony."

Soon after, Leon beheaded Regent Pom Navian. To her surprise, it was a thrilling development. Chahee smiled faintly and moved the floating screen above her palm before heading toward the underground prison.

"Look at this. It’s the royal succession ceremony for the Anais Kingdom. The new king is quite the character. I couldn’t possibly keep such a masterpiece to myself. You should take a look, too."

"...Get that away from me. The mere sight of your face makes my stomach turn."

"Now, now. Don’t be like that. Let’s watch together." Chahee entered the cell and sat down next to the Raider. The man, bound completely in chains, thrashed wildly and glared at her.

"I will kill you. I swear I will kill you. Remember this, you fucking bitch!"

"Struggling like that won’t do you any good. Just watch this. Some of the people gathered here are Dungeon Masters, just like me."

The Raider was struck dumb.

The man’s eyes widened as he stared at the screen, his gaze fixed and bloodshot.

"Oh? What’s wrong? Do you know someone there?"

"Damn it. Goddammit!" the man—the SS-rank Raider—roared in fury.

Chahee, sitting beside him, tilted her head and then turned off the screen. The attention that had been on her was now directed elsewhere. She puffed out her cheeks in a fit of petty jealousy.

"What? Who is it? Who are you so angry about?"

"Hah... hah... You don’t need to know. Get the hell out!"

"Hmph. So you won’t talk? Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re mine, after all. You’ll be with me for the rest of your life."

Slowly, Chahee began to undress. For the bound man, it was a violation he was powerless to refuse. Their two shadows slowly overlapped.