A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter 81 – The Eaters (1)

“Chieftain, they are coming.”

“I’m looking forward to what they will say.”

The meeting took place swiftly. Barun, who had arrived early and was waiting, let out a chuckle upon spotting a group of humans approaching from a distance.

The envoys sent by Garhan looked visibly tense upon seeing Barun. This was the reaction that Barun had hoped for.

Dressed in the gleaming sacred sword bestowed by the Guardian Deity, with shimmering blue scales of the Blue Drake armor and the skull helmet adorned with horns, Barun exuded an aura that was different from ordinary chieftains, blending mystery with an imposing presence.

“I heard that the great chieftain’s name resonates even in these remote lands.”

“Y-yes. I am R’tai, a warrior of that esteemed individual.”

The representative of the envoys, who couldn’t help but feel intimidated, introduced himself while glancing nervously.

“The tribe led by Chieftain Luhan attacked us the moment they laid eyes on us, claiming to be followers of Chieftain Garhan. Have they committed such acts on the orders of the chieftain to take responsibility?”

“W-well, he did command relocation, but he didn’t order an unconditional war.”

Facing Barun’s immediate questioning, R’tai shook his head, sweating bullets. He sought to draw a line between Luhan’s actions and Garhan’s orders, denying any connection.

“Then why on earth did the chieftain send you to us? Most of us are those who fled from the plunder of the tribes under the chieftain’s command.”

“That’s… because of the Black Monsters.”

“!”

R’tai cut to the chase, seeing Barun’s frown. The mention of Black Monsters made everyone flinch, Barun included.

“Some of Luhan’s warriors, who fled after their defeat, were chased by a huge black centipede, utterly annihilating a small tribe. The chieftain sent a punitive force, but they were also overwhelmed. Fortunately, we managed to eliminate that creature, and now the smaller ones have vanished, but the chieftain is gravely concerned that those monsters might harm us all.”

R’tai relayed everything that had transpired during that time. Knowing that the numerous Bugs, which had emerged from the west, had indeed flowed from Garhan’s Domain, Barun silently contemplated this.

“The chieftain asked whether you know anything about those Black Monsters.”

“We know. They are very wicked creatures that try to swallow us and the world whole.”

Upon learning the reason the envoys had come, Barun sighed and acknowledged the Bugs.

These incomprehensible, unreasonable monsters could neither be used nor hidden away.

“We are on a mission to stop them. Following the will of the Guardian Deity, we are fighting those evildoers with our lives.”

“The Guardian Deity?”

“If those monsters extend their reach to that place, we must unite to stop them. As you surely know, they are horrific and powerful foes.”

Barun warned R’tai, who blinked in surprise, that this was no trivial matter.

In the face of indiscriminate disaster, personal feelings and grudges are meaningless. Above all, this was a matter of life and death for everyone. Even a strong chieftain who became the ruler of the area through plunder and conquest could never overcome this alone. Cooperation was imperative if at all possible.

“It’s hard for me to comprehend from mere words. I find it hard to believe.”

“Then how about you come with us? The others should return to the chieftain and convey our intentions to him. The Black Monsters are terrible creatures that aim to devour the world, and if you wish to join hands before greater damage occurs, let us negotiate.”

Barun suggested to R’tai to follow him, while telling the other envoys to return and relay the message.

Immediately, the others began to glance at R’tai. In such an atmosphere, there was no way R’tai could refuse the offer.

“I-I will go.”

Eventually, R’tai accepted Barun’s proposal. Although he clearly did not want to be dragged somewhere unknown, he had no choice.

“I assure you, once you witness his power and favor, you will understand you cannot defy it.”

Barun laughed heartily at their reaction. Though they were fearful and suspicious now, he was convinced their thoughts would change once they actually witnessed it.

‘Yes. This is an opportunity. I can find out exactly who they are and what they believe to be so confident.’

With that, R’tai had no choice but to comply. To save his life, following orders and cautiously returning after a discussion was the only way.

“W-what! What on earth is that!”

As they headed to the village of the Arin Tribe, the first thing that caught R’tai’s eyes was, of course, the towering, massive wall that was being constructed high into the sky.

His eyes widened in shock. A wall taller than what the resident tribes built to fend off their plunder was being erected. Everyone, including Barun, burst into laughter at R’tai’s reaction, but he couldn’t afford to care about such things right now.

“We are fulfilling our mission, following him. In return, he bestows his blessings upon us.”

Barun personally explained the village to R’tai. It was a kind of exhibition. Even without detailing the game, merely showcasing how they lived abundantly was enough.

‘It’s true. No one seems to be starving. How can this be?’

As R’tai stared blankly at the carriers stacking blocks of stone with their bare hands and no proper tools, he nodded dumbly at Barun’s explanations.

The food being rapidly produced in the game was plentiful. Even with the population increasing rapidly, they had enough surplus to stockpile.

Thanks to that, there were no emaciated individuals among the residents, regardless of age or gender.

‘How is this possible?’

As the paved road appeared, R’tai let out a hollow laugh. It was beyond just having ample resources.

Even though R’tai hailed from the richest tribe led by Chieftain Garhan, the level of difference had already surpassed immense bounds.

The warehouse was filled with high-quality iron equipment that could equip the soldiers, and the unique weapons and gear carried by the warriors were remarkably special weapons, even in R’tai’s eyes as a fellow warrior.

The residents lived comfortably without lack, and the quality of the skilled workers soon transformed into a powerful army and labor force.

‘Though their appearances and actions may be that of the same tribes of the grasslands, the scenery of their existence is like…’

Who would dig and pave the ground with stones? Building sturdy stone storage or erecting walls to fend off invaders would be much more beneficial than wandering in search of safe lands like most tribes would.

It felt like witnessing the lives of those he had only heard about beyond the walls.

“Is it really all thanks to that Guardian Deity?”

“We were merely migrants in search of new lands at first. If the chieftain negotiates well with us, many benefits could be obtained.”

When R’tai, whose tone had unexpectedly become respectful, asked, Barun grinned and nodded. By now, it was impossible not to be curious.

And that scene was one that the deity they were praising at that moment was also observing through the screen.

*

‘The reaction is delicious, but does Barun truly intend to negotiate?’

R’tai, the envoy of Garhan, was a person whose emotions were visibly written on his face. Of course, it might be due to the shock of witnessing the scene before him.

From my perspective, it might not seem that remarkable, but it could very well be a different story for them.

To think about it, the abilities of the residents who could manifest their powers from the game into reality are indeed cheating-like. Just watching the residents stack stone blocks to create walls without cement or other tools would surprise anyone.

“They must know best.”

Mumbling absentmindedly, I continued to observe while pausing the game. Barun’s intent was clear. He couldn’t afford to wage war against other factions while dealing with the formidable Bugs.

If a resolution could be reached through dialogue, there was no need to fight.

[lv 3 Bug Emergence]

Maybe it’s because they kept trash-talking. Just then, an alert popped up indicating that the Bugs had appeared.

Hastily, I turned the screen to check, and sure enough, enemies were gathering from the northern land.

‘It’s a rift. Is it a one-time event?’

The black rifts, which spewed enemies onto the barren land, had become familiar sights by now.

There were various types of rifts corresponding to what lay beyond. One would spew out enemies and disappear quickly; the other would remain continuously in place.

Based on everything I had figured out so far, the Bug Nest was one type of persistent rift that needed to be infiltrated and cleared.

For now, the rift that had just emerged had spat out a certain number of enemies before vanishing.

“—!”

The Bugs and Glitches resembled ants. A giant, truck-sized leader ant in armor, alongside numerous subordinates the size of large wolves.

The residents sensed their approach and hurriedly prepared for battle, equipping themselves and mounting their horses.

‘This is an opportunity.’

While not stopping them, I decided to put one of the newly unlocked programs to use during this chance.

Upgrading my Desktop Crusher to level two, I now had another weapon at my disposal.

While I couldn’t use the hammer against the Bugs, this was different. For a mere ten seconds, I could directly retaliate against them.

“Ha.”

I let out an absurd chuckle while watching the chainsaw that moved alongside my mouse. To an outsider, it might seem like an adult playing with a desktop like a child.

However, when I zoomed in, those tiny, wriggling things on the screen transformed into another window reflecting vivid reality.

My chainsaw, which had morphed from an icon drawn in an animation into a gigantic, translucent chainsaw, sparked as it ground the advancing enemies into the ground.

Fortunately, the effect was remarkable. I could vividly see the sturdy-looking ants being pulverized into bits.

“—! –!”

“—!”

Of course, I saw the shocked expressions on the rushing residents’ faces.

Just like before, I hoped they would think of this as a solid protection for them.

I had acquired a means to intervene, but ultimately, they were the most crucial actors, so we would continue to fight together like this.