Chapter 165

48. Birth of the Dark Empire (2)

Jin-woo stared blankly at the humanoid robot before him. He honestly thought it would be ineffective in combat. Why did they make it human? But it was cool.

It was a much more sophisticated design than those robots in cartoons. Overall, it looked like a suit of armor, sleek and practical.

Tick!

When Prof. Kim Dae-jin pressed a button, the engine on the robot rotated, and the surface cracked. A red light emanated along the cracks and up to the robot’s eyes. It was like looking at a work of art made by a craftsman, one stitch at a time.

“This is the Dark Emperor Robot! A new force to rule the universe!”

“Oooh!”

When Professor Kim Dae-jin spread his arms out, the researchers around him cheered, and the T1s, having approached at some point, clapped their hands in unison. Kim Dae-jin fixed his glasses.

Flash!

The light reflected off the glasses flashed.

“With the newly developed mana engine, it was made by collecting rare metals from each dimension. The cockpit and OS were built by referring to the avatar system!”

“Not only that, the artisans engraved a magic circle on it to magically drive it! Shield, Beam Sword, and Giant Hammer! Everything is possible. A perfect combination of machine and fantasy! It’s not just a robot.”

Professor Choi Sung-min continued while Degurron nodded.

“Magic Weapon! This is a true Magic Weapon!”

Degurron wore a proud expression. He had created his best masterpiece since the Black Flame Dragon. This was only possible because all dimensions worked together. In particular, it was said that the help offered by the Demon Realm was great, and they modeled the robot after their giant weapon used in the war against Heaven.

Jin-woo destroyed that one, though.

‘Magic Weapon, huh…?’

It was right to call it a Magic Weapon because it used mana as its power source.

“We have already established a system for mass production at the moon base. We’re also training pilots.”

It was understandable why the moon base was busy recently. There were battleships and a Magic Weapon factory under the moon. It became a huge thing while Jin-woo was away for a while, and now there was too much going on to stop.

‘Well, the more, the better…’

Jin-woo thought it would be okay. There was still money anyway, so splurging was fine. There were so many Magic Crystals produced at JW Gate that the warehouse was about to burst, so it would be good to empty the stock. Anyway, this was great work. He could see that they had been bustling to achieve these results.

“Great job.”

When Jin-woo praised him, Kim Dae-jin burst into tears. All the researchers’ fatigue seemed to be relieved by Jin-woo’s praise. The professor clenched his fist. He couldn’t be more proud than this!

‘His Majesty the Emperor praised me!’

Was it because of fatigue? The situational drama that started with Se-yeon was now completely embedded in his brain. Perhaps it was thanks to the environment around them, as this place was the Dark Empire itself. A moon base housing an army of androids, plus the latest weapons to present to His Majesty the Emperor!

Prof. Kim Dae-jin remembered what Se-yeon said.

‘Professor Kim Dae-jin, you were originally a capable scientist, but you couldn’t overcome the darkness that grew in your heart! You succumbed to the temptations of the dark and carried out a secret experiment, which resulted in getting caught by the Space Research Institute with a huge bounty! But it was still not enough. You were exiled to the Dark Empire and became a Mad Scientist to satisfy your desire for experimentation!’

‘Umm, do you need to set it up so detailed?’

‘It’s fun! I am motivated, too!’

‘I see.’

Se-yeon had great knowledge in this field, so she roped Kim Dae-jin into playing the Mad Scientist for the Dark Empire. He had been immersed in it for so long that the role had already become him. He half lost his mind.

“Uhm, uhmahahahahaha!”

Kim Dae-jin let out a crazy laugh. The researchers shook and burst into laughter behind him. They, too, had been assigned roles one by one by Se-yeon. The setup was pretty detailed. It was to the point where Young-hoon had to imitate it.

Kim Dae-jin stopped laughing and looked at Jin-woo.

“Your Majesty! Then how about giving it a test drive?! There is a hidden function created by Professor Degurron, and we recommend that you test drive it and experience it yourself!”

“…Umm.”

People around him were now calling him Your Majesty. Jin-woo looked at Se-yeon, but she only smiled.

‘It’ll be fine since it looks like they’re having a good time, right?’

Come to think of it, it was similar to Great Emperor or Emperor, right? But it was a waste to test it out on the moon.

“It’s better to make the first appearance somewhere else.”

A good stage came to mind: the coordinates of the Pirates Union headquarters. Let’s make the debut there. When Jin-woo said that, the atmosphere heated up further.

The Dark Empire began to move!

* * *

Jin-woo boarded the ship.

A new vessel from the Dark Empire was made by completely disassembling and remodeling the ships procured one by one. It was Destroyer-Class, but size didn’t matter as it was integrated with all the latest technologies. First of all, the engine power was incomparable with existing battleships.

In addition to a shield that was always activated, it also had a gruesome power called the Mana Particle Cannon. Its destructive power was a miniature version of Dragon’s Breath.

Jin-woo sat on a huge throne on the main bridge. He wasn’t going alone on this plan but was accompanied by the Golden Women’s Association. After receiving education from Se-yeon, they kept their respective positions well.

Se-yeon was in the role of acting captain because she knew the most about the ship. Professors Kim Dae-jin, Choi Sung-min Choi, and Degurron were in the engineering room. Luna, sitting in her seat on the bridge, was leading avatars created for ship control via a screen set before her.

“Captain! We’re ready to go! The escorts are waiting, too!”

“The day has finally come.”

Se-yeon nodded. She was wearing an officer’s uniform of the Dark Empire, and she even had a cloak. It was a costume designed by Se-yeon herself and made by Lilith. Everyone on the main bridge wore similar officer uniforms. While they looked good on them, Jin-woo wondered if they had to wear them.

Jin-woo, having just left his house, was only wearing a training suit.

Se-yeon turned completely to regard Jin-woo. When he nodded, she bowed her head and turned around again, pulling back her cloak and stretching out her hand.

“The Army of Dark Empire! We are the noble warriors of His Majesty the Emperor! Destroy them all! Take pleasure in it! Despair is the only thing that matches this dark universe!”

Jin-woo looked at Se-yeon quietly. It was like watching the sci-fi version of Sarah Vriac. For some reason, she was even wearing a black eyepatch.

‘I must not show it to Kim Young-hoon.’

He remembered the scene where her younger brother was worried she was going crazy. Kim Young-hoon was also not normal, but Se-yeon was already beyond that. Se-yeon’s voice resonated throughout the ship, and the T1s stamped their feet and cheered.

Yoo-na’s job was leading the T1 Corps, actually, and Arcana was in charge of supplying mana in the engine room.

“The Dark Knight, launch!”

The name of the battleship Jin-woo rode on was the Dark Knight. Two battleships followed as an escort, named the Dark Elves. The rule seemed to be that everything had to have the word Dark in it.

‘The name is childish, but…’

It fit.

As Se-yeon ordered, the personnel on the main bridge quickly moved, and the battleship rose.

“The engine output is good!”

“Checking the main system! Good!”

“Set the route!”

The Dark Knight orbited the moon. As the engine output increased, the speed gradually increased. When the Demon’s Eye opened, it immediately soared through.

Whoosh!

Three battleships appeared in space beyond the dimensional rift. Their route had already been established. Se-yeon wore a smile, recalling the pirates. There was no need to show mercy to them, making them the perfect target for the first act of destruction conducted by the Dark Empire.

“Preparing the warp drive!”

“Coordinate input complete!”

“Mana recharge 100% has been confirmed!”

“Checking the shield reinforcement!”

“Warp drive ready.”

Se-yeon nodded.

“Launch the warp!”

“Launching warp drive!”

Luna shouted in response to Se-yeon’s command and pressed the button.

Paaash!

As the warp drive activated, the Dark Knight and their escorts disappeared. Usually, warping required a long preparation time, but the latest battleships of the Dark Empire were able to move right away. That was possible thanks to the mana engines. Although, even if the engine was shattered, Arcana was in the engine room so that it could warp anywhere regardless.

Whoosh!

A new scene unfolded before their eyes as they left warp.

‘It’s the pirates’ joint base.’

The base was hidden in a ring formed by a giant gas planet. The satellite moons orbiting the gas planet contained large amounts of water and rare resources, and the fish living under the ice layers of those moons could be used as food. The smallest of these moons was the home of the base, where all the illegal things in the galaxy gathered. It was also the largest drug-producing center in the galaxy, pumping out an addictive substance that ruined entire families.

When the three battleships suddenly warped, the base responded by mobilizing their vessels. There were more than a dozen Destroyer-Class ships alone moving out, led by a huge mothership with a pirate flag. The Dark Empire’s fleet of only three ships looked shabby in comparison.

“Signal the enemy fleet!”

When Se-yeon’s words fell, communications were connected. A woman with red hair appeared on a huge screen on the main bridge. Jin-woo recognized her immediately.

‘The Red Blade Latica, the leader of the Pirates Union.’

She was a heroine embodying Young-hoon’s taste. She was a sexy older sister character with a similar vibe to that of Zhuge Mi-xian.

Se-yeon looked at her.

“We are the army of the Dark Empire. I will give you the glorious opportunity to dedicate everything you own to His Majesty the Emperor.”

[Hah, crazy bitch. Did you just charge us with three ships?]

“Three ships are plenty enough.”

[I’ll get rid of you all right now. No, I’m going to strip you naked and make you my chair.]

“You are suitable to entertain His Majesty the Emperor.”

Se-yeon was surprisingly good at this battle of spirits. Latica frowned when Se-yeon laughed, and the communication was cut off immediately.

“A heat source is detected from the enemy fleet. It’s identified as a Beam Particle Cannon!”

“It’s a pretty radical greeting. But it’s okay.”

Se-yeon held back her smirk. Beam Particle Cannons were fired from the dozens of ships simultaneously, traversing the void of space to collide with the Dark Knight. But that was all. As soon as it touched the shield spread over the Dark Knight, each beam was absorbed.

“Energy recharged 140%! All turned into mana! There isn’t any problem with the ship.”

“Then we should also greet them.”

Se-yeon looked at Jin-woo. When he gestured, Se-yeon nodded and continued.

“Prepare the Mana Particle Cannon!”

“Mana Particle Cannon is ready!”

“Minimizing the shield!”

“Locking the target!”

“Energy recharge 100% has been confirmed! Mana Particle Cannon ready! Awaiting for the order!”

The lights on the main bridge turned red. Se-yeon reached out her hand toward the pirate fleets.

“Fire!”

Blue light began to gather in front of the Dark Knight with a roar, condensing into an orb. At its apex, when the ship grew still-

Paaaaaassshh!

The mana poured forward. The pirates hurriedly deployed their shields, but their defenses proved in vain. The right side of the pirate mothership was blown away, and the ships around it were torn asunder.

Baaaaaang!

There was no sound, but it exploded splendidly so that Jin-woo could imagine what it sounded like. The pirate mothership was engulfed in flames. Many escape vessels fled the wreckage, and, a moment later, the pirate mother ship exploded.

“Warning! Engine overload!”

“Ten minutes until the Mana Particle Cannon recharges!”

The first shot blew up the pirate mothership, but it wasn’t possible to fire several in a row. Taking advantage of that gap, the pirate fleet began to attack. Small fighters began to fly around them, firing. However, their shield remained intact.

The Dark Knight had numerous other offensive methods.

“Fire mana bullets!”

Mana emanated from the small orbs attached to the ship, destroying the fighters zipping around them.

“Let’s launch our fighters.”

Se-yeon issued the command. The Dark Knight also carried dozens of fighters piloted by the T1s, each boasting performance beyond the pirates. When Se-yeon readied to eject the fighters, Jin-woo shook his head and stood up.

“Great job. I’ll take care of the rest myself.”

“Understood.”

Jin-woo left the main bridge and descended to the engineering bay.

Kim Dae-jin and several crew members were already lined up, the Dark Emperor ready beside them. Yoo-na, Maze, Arina, and Heo-young stood at attention in pilot outfits, their aircraft also ready. A transport plane carrying T1 troops was also prepared. They would take charge of the rescue of the ordinary people held captive in the pirate’s base.

Jin-woo boarded the Dark Emperor. The cockpit was spacious and filled with buttons and flashing lights, but there was no need to learn the controls. As he sat in the center, various machines reached over to cover his arms and legs.

‘It’s amazing.’

The Dark Emperor moved in line with Jin-woo. It couldn’t follow him fully, but it was still very convenient, as its arms moved to match his.

Jin-woo moved to the ejection port following the guidance of the crew with fluorescent rods. Upon arriving at the exit, the ship was set up in a catapult for ejection.

[Catapult is ready!]

[Dark Emperor! Synchronization rate 100%!]

[System All Green!]

[Waiting for His Majesty’s call!]

Green lights flashed as the crew’s voice reached a fever pitch. It was a little embarrassing, but he wanted to try to match them.

“I will take off.”

[Oh! You have to shout ‘Dark Emperor! Ready to take off! I am the Dark Emperor itself!’ Something like that…]

[That’s right! Please do it again! With a solemn voice! That’s the romance!]

Luna and Se-yeon’s voices cut in over the comms. Jin-woo sighed, feeling his head cooling off.

“…Dark Emperor will now take off!”

Since he decided to compromise, he should at least do this much.

Paaasssh!

The Dark Emperor was ejected out into space. When Jin-woo provided his mana, a red light spewed out from behind the Dark Emperor, accelerating it forward. A second light began to condense in the robot’s hand.

Zheeeng!

It was a saber sword composed of mana particles. When Jin-woo extended his mana, the shape of the sword collapsed and fluctuated in all directions. Now it looked like a thunderbolt.

The Dark Emperor stretched out, drawing an afterimage behind it, as it broke a pirate fighter into two.

[W-what! T-that…!]

[Humanoid ro-robot?]

[I-I can’t keep up with the movement!]

[Uh-uuuh! Save me…]

Every time the Dark Emperor passed by, fighters exploded.

[A-a humanoid robot? It has no long-range armament! Retreat and shoot!]

The pirate battleships began to retreat. Jin-woo watched the huge vessel in front of him. When he swung the saber, a wave of black energy passed through the ship.

Crack!

The pirate battleship split into two. The Dark Emperor accelerated past the wreckage.

Bang!

It exploded and turned into dust.

‘It’s pretty good.’

He liked the solid feel of the controls. This was a Magic Weapon that would change the history of the universe.

It was the first appearance of the Dark Emperor.